Hand Holding, Damnation of a Bloodline, and Other Splendid Pastimes
by Tsume Yuki
Summary: Because of course Sasuke's response to learning time-travel is possible is to try going back just that little bit further. And overshooting the runway. By a lot. The ancestors may be giving him hell, but at least he's got Naruto with him. (Female Naruto)
1. Chapter 1

Just a little further.

At the time, it'd seemed like a good idea. They'd done the impossible, travelled back through time to stop the end of the world via rabbit goddess and plant abomination. They knew what was going to happen, when it was going to happen, they had the power of the Sage to stop it with. In theory, everything was sound.

They'd landed six years in the past, when their counterparts should be eleven, not even qualified as ninja yet. Itachi would be running around, spying on the Akatsuki for the sake of an ungrateful village. Orochimaru would be out and about too, revelling in his obsession with preteens of prodigious breeding. That was all happening and they'd been there.

Then, then Sasuke had looked in his weapon pouch, had seen a certain little seal and had a Naruto-worthy idea. Naruto-worthy in that is was a ridiculous risk that would, under any other circumstances, never pay off. And then-

.

_"Well, I'm sorry time-travel isn't a smooth ride. I'll try to do better next time."_

_"When are we?"_

_"Kurama said we had enough juice for five or so years." Right, five or so years. That's… that's graduation-ish time… he thinks. _

_"What- What about if I have a seal that can amplify jutsus?"_

.

And then they'd time-travelled again. Only, Sasuke doesn't recognise his current location, doesn't recognise any of these chakra signatures to the point of putting them to faces, and he sure as fuck doesn't see Naruto.

Staggering to his feet, Sasuke plants one hand against his throbbing temple, idly noting that at least three of his ribs are broken. He's standing in a crater of hard-packed earth that, that's still smoking slightly. Judging by the ash and smoke on his arms and sleeves, it's probably safe to say he'd been the thing on fire, though there're no burns on his skin. Rinnegan fuckery? Maybe so. Certainly, he doesn't have the chakra left to try a fire-jutsu. It'd been Naruto who did the heavy lifting and, speak of, where is she?

Peeling back one eyelid (because, okay, fuck, the light hurts), Sasuke peers out at his surroundings with dark eyes. If he turns the Sharingan on now, he's pretty certain he'll either pass out or die given the fumes he's running on. And he can't afford to do either while Naruto's unaccounted for.

The first thing he sees is tents. Lots of tents. And not the Shinobi Alliance kind of tents that he'd sped past on his way to the battlefield. No, there's are the kind that Shisui had dug out of the Uchiha storage hold for summer camping as a kid, the ones that he'd gotten shouted at for using because they were 'relics of history you god-damn brat, go do a thousand push-ups'. Yeah, Elder Hikamu fucking sucked.

Doesn't mean he deserved to die.

He'd probably have died not long after anyway.

Elder Hikamu had sucked and he'd also been old as balls.

He doesn't see any elderly people here, but there sure are a fuck ton of shinobi in armour. Yet again, exactly like the kind that Shisui had been punished for dressing up in (maybe his cousin had just liked push-ups and needed and excuse to do them instead of his chores?).

Every last one of them are staring at him in ill-concealed horror.

Well fuck. What has he done wrong this time? Sure, from what he can gather he's hit the earth like a meteor smack dab in the middle of their camp, but who the fuck camps in an open field like this in such a large number? That's just asking to be attacked. Unless they're all hard-ass shinobi (which, looking at them, they probably are) in which case it's just sheer pride that has them camping here. Either way, they deserved to be hit with Sasuke-meteor. More importantly though, they do not seem to have suffered a Naruto-meteor. If they had, he'd certainly notice. She'd have been a bolder, brighter meteor than him, that's for sure. But he can't sense her maelstrom of charka in the slightest.

"Izuna!" The thunderous roar echoes out from the crowd, a deep voice that somehow fills the entire clearing.

Sasuke tilts his head to a side, eyes narrowing because that's an awfully familiar voice in a crowd of unfamiliar faces. Faces that look relatively similar too; has he landed in one of the last few travelling clans?

That's round about the time the ground under his feet is split apart by tree roots that are reaching reaching _reaching_ for him and the shadows they create Zetsu could be hiding in any of them and why does everything hurt _so_ much-

.

When Sasuke comes back around, he's alive. Which, you know, is a start. Normally, Zetsu's attacks go right for the kill shot and he'd been in no state to avoid it. Yet, here he is, wrapped up and held in position by a series of tree-trunks that aren't trying to spear his heart, that aren't attempting to pluck out his eyes. The blindfold he could have done without and- and he can't activate the Sharingan to burn it off.

Grunting, Sasuke shifts slightly in his bindings, biting his lip when the branches press like fuck against his broken ribs. Ow. Not fair. Probably in his best interests to remain still and wait for Naruto to come and rescue him. She will. It's what she does, save him, that is. Again and again and again. She's never given up on him in all these years, never will. Or, so he hopes. Fuck, how had it taken so long for him to realise Naruto is it for him? Undead Itachi had practically spelt it out for him- no, he's giving himself too much credit. Undead Itachi had said it so bluntly he might as well have slapped Sasuke around the face with it. And still he hadn't realised until he'd met up with her on the battlefield against Madara and Zetsu and Kaguya. Ridiculous.

He's such an idiot.

An idiot with aching ribs.

He doesn't moan from the pain, he's a Uchiha, it's not what they do. But he does breathe a little more forceful, if only the once. Then, it's back to normal breaths.

Whichever fucker has got him locked in this, Sasuke's gonna kill them for binding his hands over his head. It fucking hurts.

The door opens and Sasuke can smell ozone, that sharp scent that comes before lightning, coupled with the scent of still water. Near contradictory odours that can only belong to a person. Someone with lightning and water release.

"How did you get here, Izuna."

It's a flat order and, for a second, Sasuke plays with the idea that some other sap has been caught up in all of this. Only, they won't have a Naruto to come blitzing to the rescue.

But his straining ears and sharp nose don't catch a sound or smell from any other person.

It takes another second for his semi-melted brain to make the connection. This idiot thinks he's Izuna.

Izuna… as in, Madara's little brother Izuna?

.

_"Now, don't put too much chakra into this, the seal amplifies things near a hundred-fold."_

_"Yeah, yeah, don't give it too much juice; come on, Bastard, I got this!"_

_ ._

Oh, she sure had got this.

"Got this my fucking ass," Sasuke snarls under his breath, choosing to ignore the fucker who's come to interrogate him because they're in the fucking Clan Wars Era and Naruto's super chakra has fucked them over. Big Time.

Worse, he can't even be upset with her over this because Naruto has to be here somewhere and they've still got a chance to fix things, even if it's fixing things for the distant, distant future.

"God fucking damn it, you idiot." He needs to get free, needs to heal up. He needs to find Naruto.

And he absolutely cannot let anyone know he's from the future.

* * *

"So, you're a time-traveller!"

Izuna all but bounces along the path, staring at the girl that Madara-nii's got trussed up and thrown over one shoulder. She still blinks every so often, peering at his face in something resembling confused awe.

It's been a strange thirty minutes. One moment, he and Madara had been running through the treetops, returning from a basic scouting missions (something that's beneath the Clan Heir and the spare but like hell is Izuna gonna complain about getting to spend time with his big brother) and then the next, the next a glowing gold meteor had crashed into Madara and thrown him to the forest floor.

Izuna had been so stunned all he'd been able to do was stare, horrified. Then, the glow had faded to reveal a blonde woman sprawled across his (slightly singed but otherwise fine) brother. Her attire (orange, of all colours!) had been burnt at the hems, but there hadn't been a scratch on her other than that.

His brother, who wouldn't know what to do with a woman if she stripped naked in his bedroom had tied her up right away… once he'd gotten his bearings, that was. Izuna had thought he was being rather mean but Madara had insisted on caution given the whole 'falling from the sky' business. He rather thinks its because she took him completely off guard, but he can't say for sure.

Some time later as they're walking on the path back (to avoid anymore attractive meteors, not that Izuna would mind being hit by the girl's twin or something), she wakes up. Proceeds to call him Sasuke and ask if they managed to travel far enough back in time.

Which brings them to the present.

"Don't listen to her lies, Izuna," Madara snaps, glancing over the shoulder not occupied by an attractive blonde to scowl at him, "she'll say anything to get free." She attacked me. It goes unsaid but Izuna can hear it loud and clear. He also doesn't believe it; after all, what kind of idiot would use an attack that'd leave them unconscious?

"I could break free at any moment I wanted to, Fucker," snaps back the woman with the foulest mouth he's ever heard, taking the time to glower at Madara before wiggling about on his shoulder again to better face Izuna. "You really, really look like Sasuke. Like, just like him. Do you have a secret twin you lost to a seal experiment gone wrong or something? Or, maybe you're the missing twin?" What?

"Izuna is not a time traveller and neither are you," Madara snaps, jolting the girl and she hisses. There's a meaty thud and his big brother stops, shoulders tense. When Izuna rounds the two of them, he's quite startled to see an impressive dent in the front of his big brother's armour. From the girl's knee?

"Just you wait 'till I have my chakra back," the girl grumbles, eyelids already drooping, face ashen in a clear show of chakra exhaustion that she's evidentially trying to fight through. "I'll mop the floor with you all over again."

"Sure, you will." Yeah, his brother doesn't believe a girl can fight. Izuna eyes the dent once more, just to double check. Nope, it's still there. Huh.

"Just you wait, bastard. I'll kick your ass and then gone find Sasuke. You'll see."

.

Two minutes later, the girl is very clearly unconscious (he never got her name!) and there's a growing patch of droll leaking down the back of Madara's armour and soaking into his shirt. Izuna very pointedly ignores it, trying not to snicker. She's probably a year or two older than him, but she's got spunk. It's cute. Hopefully, the elders won't be too displeased by their new prisoner. It's like they've got a sixth sense for when something's going to upset the delicate balance of the clan. And a girl claiming to know a 'Sasuke' who looks exactly like Izuna? Yeah, that'll probably throw them into a tizz.

Huh, he's almost excited to see it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Why are you here."

"The love of my life dragged me along."

His interrogator grits his teeth and Sasuke doesn't event try to hide the upturn of his lips, relaxing back into his bonds as best he can. They've been at this for the past thirty or so minutes (that's if Naruto hasn't blown his internal clock like the war has a good portion of his bones) and it's actually been relatively easy for him. Because every question he gives a truthful answer for sounds like the most outlandish lie to this interrogator who believes him Izuna.

Where's your family? They were all killed by my elder brother.

Why did you target Hashirama? I didn't, I just fell.

Who do you work with? No one, really. I just get dragged along by the idiot.

Each answer is driving the other (a Senju? Given he'd apparently landed on Hashirama, then it's probably the safest bet) to a new point of fury. Sasuke wonders when he'll snap, when he'll lose all restraint and begin beating him. He's never actually been captured and held behind enemy lines, though some of his time spent with Orochimaru could probably count as such.

The mark on his palm pulsates, the Sage's chakra hammering away and still very much present. Because they sealed his chakra, but they sure as fuck didn't seal the Sage's. He's just waiting for the opportune moment to use it. It'd be just his luck for the chakra to have one setting and that setting be 'explosive'. Or, something along those lines. No, that can't be right; the mark is a link to Naruto and she's the luckiest son of a bitch he knows. Surely some of that good luck must rub off on him eventually, right?

Then again, if that's suppose to happen by proximity, he's failing uselessly. Hell, he's probably in the negatives.

He'll just have to spend as much time as possible with her to make up for it.

"-not like you to play purposefully stupid," the voice is further away; Sasuke can hear the creak of the door when he listens carefully. Looks like they're finally taking a break.

Whetting his cracked lips, he tilts his head to a side, straining to hear any further noise. No footsteps leading away but then his captor is obviously a ninja.

Sasuke wonders how much damage he did while blacking out from the 'tree-roots-it's-Zetsu-fucking-fight-or-flee-don't-get-caught' thing. Not his finest hour, but he's damn sure others will have freaked out just as much. And he's Uchiha Sasuke. His trauma card is full, he's more than entitled to a few mental breakdowns. Only, there's no Naruto here to patch things up (to patch Sasuke up) which means he needs to be gone now. Before they do lose their patience and resort to the war other clans deal with Uchiha prisoners back in the Clan War Era. Scooping out his eyeballs, for example.

Yes, his bedtime threats weren't entirely normal but, then again, when the age of those threats was long past, they didn't hold the weight they once did.

Well, Sasuke's fucking feeling that weight now. He likes his eyeballs right where they are, thank you very much.

He counts nine breaths, each one steady and slow, before he decides it's safe to start working towards an escape plan. While the Sage chakra is accessible to him, he doesn't want to use it, not yet. Not unless he has no other choice. And, at this moment in time, he does have one other option.

His years with Orochimaru hadn't been a complete waste of time. Dislocating some of his joints and then putting them back in isn't beyond his range of abilities and doing that with his hands had been the first thing he'd learnt.

It hurts like hell, it reminds him too much of the snake Sannin, who isn't even born yet; what the actual fuck, that thought is awful and he can only hope he and Naruto produce a kid capable of kicking the bastard's ass six way to Sunday seeing as he'll probably be too old to able to do it himself… no, they will produce a kid capable of kicking the bastard's ass; any kid they have will have all of Naruto's awesome and enough of Sasuke to balance out the idiot. Their kid will rule the world, that much is obvious. He just needs woo her into accepting him as a husband and then they're good.

She's it for him, if that wasn't already obvious.

Hands now worked free, Sasuke wiggles his fingers about, checking all is in working order, if a bit achy, before he sets himself to work with the rest of his bindings. Blindfold first, of course.

Luckily, the chakra repression seal is blatantly obvious, drawing across his chest, top unzipped to the navel to allow for it. At least the fuckers didn't break any of the teeth; he's had enough of others leering at his chest now. That's for Naruto's eye only.

Biting into his forefinger, Sasuke goes about disrupting the sealing matrix. He can't get it fully off of him without preparation time, but a quick patch-job that'll adjust the seal to only seal half his chakra will work. He'll only need half anyway. It's not like he's planning to fight the entire Senju Clan. Just the ones that try to prevent his escape.

And maybe whichever bastard had been interrogating him. He'll recognise him by voice, of that, Sasuke's sure. A half second later, he feels the familiar weight of his chakra flowing sluggishly through his veins. Right, he's not at full capacity, is he? With it all being locked up out of his metaphorical reach, he hadn't been too sure, but it's obvious now that his reserves aren't fully recovered.

.

Not even a second passes from his chakra surging through his body before the door is flung open and a significantly younger Second Hokage fills the frame.

Sasuke stares. Well fuck. Definitely Senju then, as if there were any doubt before.

He doesn't have his sword (bastards must have taken it), so Sasuke settles for body flickering away from the other, aiming a kick for his white hair. Lovely and light, it makes a good target in this darkness.

The speedy bastard ducks it; of course, he does. If Sasuke were still a genin (aka still a stupid idiot who cannot keep his eyes on the prize) then he'd be swinging back around for another go. As he's a former-missing-nin (no, Naruto, I'm not a genin, just because I never got a promotion doesn't mean you get to call me that and aren't you still one too), Sasuke stays on target.

He's out the door in the space of the two seconds that Tobirama had taken to step in, zipping down the corridor as his opponent appears just behind him. Sasuke doesn't take the corner, instead leaping at the wall and sticking a vertical landing with chakra aid. One hand points towards Tobirama, borrowing Itachi's favourite genjutsu trap when facing a Sharingan user. The misconception is they can only cast an illusion with their eyes. Itachi favourited a finger, but Sasuke much prefers the whole hand.

While Tobirama sees the illusionary Sasuke take off down the corridor again, Sasuke backtracks, running past the cell he'd been held in, ignoring the three others (no recognisable features, not Uchihas so not his problem) to continue powering up and out of the place.

.

Sasuke erupts from the building with all the force and determination of a pyroclastic flow. Not lava, because lava's slow as fuck unless it's a hot Kage spitting it towards you. Hey, he'd been in a revenge spiral and half-blind, not fully blind. Even he can recognise the Mizukage was very pretty. A shame he's all but taken. He just needs to make things official.

Senju all around his began shouting in alarm but Sasuke doesn't have time for all that. There's miles and miles between them, but he can sense Naruto's chakra signature. It's calm, she's probably sleeping. Clearly she landed somewhere better than he did. Then again, in this time period, there's nowhere that could have been worse for a Uchiha to land then right in the middle of the Senju encampment. He'll lucky he wasn't skewered on sight. Probably because of the multitude of injures he's already got. Ribs still broken but he can power through that for now. Wouldn't be the first time.

He ducks the first three kunai, swings around the tanto of one that comes at him and kicks the idiot in the face, repurposing the sword as his own weapon. He puts the next one down with the Lion Combo, something they've obviously never been exposed to before. Of course, all the ones coming at him expecting to see Izuna are in for a shock; Sasuke has seventy odd years on all of them with his jutsus. Speaking of which-

Chidori chirps to life in his hand, filling the compound with the sound of a thousand chirping birds. A quick application of shape transformation and the lightning needles are firing out, none with the intention to kill (Naruto'll pout at him) but to drive them off and back.

A man bursts out of the large house at the end of the street, likely the clan head (what with Tobirama looking younger than him and Sasuke's pretty sure there isn't a massive age gap between the two brothers so Hashirama probably isn't the Clan Head yet) which means it's time for him to scram.

Only, Garuda doesn't appear when he tries to summon him.

Swearing violently under his breath, Sasuke twists the stolen tanto in his hand to fend off the clan head, back-stepping as quick as he can, all the while his eyes scan the crowd for Hashirama. He's the main threat out of the lot and it's probably too much to hope the to-be Hokage is busy helping his brother. Speaking of, that genjutsu'll probably be wearing off soon and fuck, his ribs are hurting.

He rolls to avoid the boot that would otherwise slam into said cracked ribs (can't find Naruto if he dies of internal bleeding) and dips into the well of chakra in his stomach. There's not a lot, even less that he can actually use. Which, yeah, irritating. But, it's enough to give himself some breathing room.

Back tracking a few feet from the Clan Head, Sasuke thrusts a hand forwards, left eye spinning until it settles into the throbbing pattern he associates with the Rinnegan. He can see the other's eyes go wide with horror, probably at the sight of a 'new' Dōjutsu and, in the next second, they're all being flung away under the influence of Shinra Tensei. He's not got much chakra to hand, but enough to launch everyone around him away by fifty or so feet. Enough to give him the time to flee.

Twisting on heel, Sasuke makes for the clan wall, scaling it with ease, even as his limbs screech and scream and his ribs call for mercy. He doesn't have time for mercy though, he's out of the compound but not clear of it. There's still plenty of Senju about, all alive (damn Naruto, this'd be so much easier if she didn't have morals and puppy eyes and that cute little pout that says she's disappointed in you) and all beginning to clamber up to their feet. And to top things off, Senju Tobirama has just come vaulting out of Sasuke's previous escape hole, murder in his eyes and a flush to his cheeks that indicate he's managed to free himself from the genjutsu. Sasuke has zero intentions of sticking around to see just how well the Senju can fight as a team, not when he's running off fucking fumes and Naruto is still nowhere to be found, even as her chakra lingers at the edge of his senses.

But he's at the wall, he's home dry as long as he can outpace them.

Naruto's calling.

.

Sasuke turns around and sprints.

Right into Senju fucking Hashirama.

God fucking damn it.

.

"Madara told me all his brothers were dead, why would he lie to me?"

As good as Sasuke is, not even he can wiggle out of Mokuton bindings when the user is attached to the other end. Hashirama had been returning from a quick scouting mission when Sasuke'd slammed into him during his daring escape, and he'd reacted quickly enough to retain custody of the Uchiha. Now, he's got another chakra restraining seal slapped on him (this time across his shoulder blades in those awkward to reach places; probably shouldn't have proved himself a dab hand at Fūinjutsu) and Hashirama is still connected to the wood that's caging him in while they try to figure out if they've got him contained now.

They haven't, of course. He's still got the Sage's power lying in wait but a second escape attempt so soon may just prompt them to actual decapitate him and be done with it.

Then the Leaf Village will never form because Naruto'll break the Senju compound. Oh, she may not kill any of them, but the physical representation of humanity's rage collected over several millennia will most certainly push her towards doing some damage.

The Fox has a special place in his poisonous black heart for Hashirama and Madara, doesn't he? The two that'd either used him in battle or restrained him to be put in a human prison. Regardless, no Leaf Village, no future Naruto or future Itachi. The two people Sasuke actually gives a fuck about. Doesn't matter that one's MIA and the other decades away from being born. He's still got to take them into account when planning. Fuck, everything had been so much simpler when he didn't care. Why does he care again?

(Naruto's smile, her laughter, her sparkling eyes and 'I'll do whatever it takes to save you 'ttebayo' hits him like a haymaker)

Oh yeah, that's why he cares.

"I thought we bonded over shared trauma." And holy fuck is teenaged Hashirama a train-wreck to witness. He'd thought the grown man was bad with his black moods and spiralling depression during a single upset but this? Now this is a sight to behold.

He thanks every god (barring Kaguya because fuck her) that Naruto is a smiley idiot instead of a weepy one like this.

"I'm not Madara's brother." Just the thought is sickening. Yes, Sasuke is a little brother. Yes, he has an older brother who is also a Uchiha. But Itachi trumps Madara in every way possible. Full stop. Sasuke'll take no more questions.

In front of him, Hashirama sniffles, finally looking up with a pout on his lips.

"You're not?"

"No. Just like I've been trying to tell your stellar interrogator, I am not Izuna. I am not Madara's brother, I've never met this 'Tajima' guy; hell, I've never spoken to any of the Uchiha at this point!" Technically true. Obviously, he's spoken to (shouted at) Madara in the future, might have spoken to some of the younger generation when they're old bags after he's born but before the massacre. In his current present though? Sasuke's never spoken to any of them. Complete truth.

And, from the look on Hashirama's face, Sasuke gets the feeling the other can sense it too.

God, it's fucking weird to see him at the same age. He's not full grown yet, though already taller than Sasuke. The hair isn't the right length either, just brushing his shoulders. He's not the face on the mountain, not the portrait in the Hokage's office and-

The door bags open and the big guy comes striding in with Tobirama at his heels.

Hashirama's also not the Clan Head yet.

He doesn't know the head's name, never cared to learn the Senju tree as he did his own. Instead of greeting him by name as he'd like to, Sasuke makes eye contact, unable to use his Dōjutsu with his chakra sealed but the threat remains regardless.

"Uchiha." The man offers in return, face set in a hard line as he inspects Sasuke from the top of his dark hair to the tips of his toes (two of which are broken but like fuck is he gonna let on to that).

"Father, he's got three broken ribs." Motherfucker.

"And still managed to almost escape," the Head grunts, lips in a hard line and Sasuke offers his best Suigetsu grin back. He hopes it pisses them off as much as it used to piss him off.

"Not that you were the deciding factor in that," Sasuke taunts and gets a slap round the face for it. His jaw creaks with the effort of remaining in place and not shattering. Yeah, that wasn't friendly.

"Well fuck you too," Sasuke snarls, spitting the blood that pools in his mouth onto the floor, mindful of Hashirama's shoes. The only one who's been half decent so far.

He'll be the one he doesn't concuss on his way out.

"Not one of Tajima's boys, even with that face. They don't run their mouths like this."

Sasuke smirks, well aware of the blood still dribbling at the corner of his lips.

"Where's your family, Uchiha."

"They're dead," Sasuke repeats the same answer he gave his interrogator, who he's now relatively sure was Tobirama. "My elder brother was a prodigy, he killed them all in one night. I got home in time to see him murder my mother. He then tortured me for hours in a genjutsu, reliving his every move that night."

Hashirama fucking shudders, draws in a shaky breath and that's when Sasuke goes for the killing blow.

"I was eight."

"He's telling the truth," the future First wheezes, something so blatantly close to pity and sorrow and grief in his eyes. Were there ever any doubts that it's be this man who'd stop the fighting, who'd do it for the future and for children and for peace, they'd have died a swift death witnessing his expression today.

Ruthlessly, Sasuke continues onwards, eager to get to the point. "They were planning on picking a fight that would have destroyed us and there was no one my brother loved more than me. He killed them all so I'd live and made himself the enemy so as to not ruin my memory of them."

"I fail to see how your, admittedly tragic backstory has any impact on current events, barring your clear lack of association with the Uchiha Clan itself," Tobirama states, voice clear and emotionless. Sasuke's almost impressed- no, wait, he is impressed. Usually the backstory is either a tearjerker or a suckerpunch. It's been a while since someone's brushed it off like Tobirama has done. What a cold-hearted bastard. Everything Sasuke'd be aspiring to be if, you know, he wasn't in love. Utterly and completely in love. Undead Itachi was right, nothing's better than this.

On the other hand, he can certainly understand why Obito took a swan dive right into crazy town; if he loses Naruto, it won't just be the end of him, it'll be the end of the world through him.

Hell, he rather thinks the Kyūbi might even help him do it. Just shows how special she is.

"My point is," Sasuke states, head tilting to a side, one bang covering half his features, allowing that same crazed smile from the Kage Summit to slip across his face, "that Uchihas stop and nothing to keep the ones they love safe. And right now, the only fucking person who matters isn't beside me." Where I can keep her safe. It goes unsaid, but Sasuke reckons they hear him loud and clear anyway. And then, drawing on Kakashi's influence, he masks it all back up, relaxing into the restraints as much as he can.

"Tch, I hope you've not sent out a scroll telling the Uchihas you have Izuna or anything." From the grumpy look on Tobirama and Papa Senju's face, that's exactly what they did.

Sasuke laughs, delighted by the turn of events. Ha. They'll definitely know it isn't him, but maybe they'll be intrigued enough to make a play for him anyway. And in the chaos, he can go find his Naruto.

.

The Senju Head leaves after Hashirama reinforces his tree restraints and grounds them into the floor. Sasuke can feel him feeding the roots chakra from across the semi-permanent compound. Most of it had been tents, but there'd been a few buildings. Then again, if you've got Mokuton, Sasuke supposed you can set up shop wherever you care to do so. He wouldn't know; not like Tobi/Obito/That Fucker had been one for ensuring his minions' comfort.

Tobirama's the last to leave, eyes burning red in a way that remarkably unfamiliar to Sasuke, what with it not being the Sharingan that's flashing in the barely there light. Just red irises, that's all there is to it.

He wonders how many of Tobirama's clan have almost skewered him by mistake. It's probably why he keeps that shock of white hair uncovered.

Rolling his shoulders, Sasuke does his best to relax into the restraints, freezing as he feels warm warm _warm _chakra begin sleeping into his torso.

Tch, what a softie. He certainly won't turn down a distant healing session from the First Hokage though. He wonders if it were the backstory that got to him, or the guilt of his father's treatment of a prisoner. Either way, semi-healed ribs are better than broken ones, so Sasuke sits back and prepares himself for an uncomfortable wait.

* * *

"Izuna!"

Jolting, Izuna swears under his breath (near silent because he sure as hell doesn't want Father descending on him with his 'swearing is for commoners' and 'are you a descendant of our noble bloodline' speeches) and hastily begins to mop up the ink blot on the page. It's too late though; the sheet is ruined, ink bleeding through too quick to even make a real attempt at saving it. The only comfort he can take in Madara's thunderous bellow is that his dear brother is in charge at the moment and that, whatever he's messed up, his brother won't rip into him as much as their father would do.

The door slides open behind him with a bang, rattling the frame and the paper screen quivers but magically stands the abuse his brother heaps upon it. There's a wild look in Madara's eyes as he stares at him and Izuna stares back in equal measure. Completely forgetting about the brush he's holding and god damn it, now there's an inkblot on his pants.

And Madara's hands on his face.

Izuna keeps her face carefully blank as Madara turns his head this way and that, one thumb brushing over the scar at his temples, the one he'd given himself by accident trying to copy one of Madara's kunai moves. After an uncomfortable few seconds, Madara lets go of his face, his own twisting into a furious glower.

"The lying bastards."

Izuna gapes. Because where has that language come from?!

Despite his expectations, Uchiha Tajima does not descend from the heavens to wash Madara's mouth out with soap, leaving Izuna free to scramble after his brother without fear of blowing bubbles by association lacing his bones. Not that Father could catch either of them if they were really trying, but the point stands.

"Madara? What was that about?"

"The Senju sent a hawk, saying they had you and if we even wanted a chance to see you, we had to prepare for repercussions." Oh. Oh. His brother is steaming with anger.

But why the hell would they claim they had Izuna when they oh so clearly not? He thinks it over for a moment but, nope, still confused. Voicing the question in hopes his brother will have the answer doesn't clear things up.

It does, however, reveal there's a key flaw in their security.

"The Senju have Sasuke?!"

Izuna screeching in shock. But holy hell, that voice was loud, too loud and slightly raspy and right by his ear?

Flinching back and away (you know, like any good ninja would do, like Madara has done), Izuna pulls a kunai free (where's his sword? Because he needs to be carrying it around the compound, it would seem) and angles it towards the intruder.

It's the girl from yesterday. The time-travel one. The one that's supposed to be locked up with the other temporary prisoners.

The Uchiha very rarely take prisoners. They've got captives, people they're holding because of some mission or another, but they very, _very_ rarely take ninja as prisoners. Izuna's never seen a female shinobi prisoner in his lifetime. Blonde girl here's the first.

"How did you get out!" Madara bellows, Sharingan spinning and look of stunned fury on his face. "You have suppression seals on!"

"Eh? These things? They burnt out about half an hour ago."

Burnt out? The only way to burn out a suppression seal is to so thoroughly overload it with chakra that it can't cope. Which, you know, seeing as your chakra is suppressed, you're not supposed to be able to do. You need a different kind of chakra to pop a seal like that and no Uchiha would be mad enough to go against Madara and help the girl out. Even if she is remarkably pretty.

"Burnt out- they were the strongest suppressors we had!" Madara hisses and Izuna can't decided if he's furious over the fact the girl could have easily escaped, or that they've lost two of their low supply of suppressor seals. Both. Both is the correct answer.

The girl unapologetically shrugs her shoulders, scratching lazily at the back of her neck before holding out a hand.

"Gimme the scroll thing they sent. I'll go get Sasuke."

"I'll go-"

"You can't just go get someone from the Senju camp!" Izuna cries, overrunning his brother's dazed parroting of the girl's words. That's- that's just not how it's done. Prisoner exchange doesn't happen like that. It goes through letters and seventy percent of the time; negotiations break down and prisoners get executed. Twenty percent of the time, they decided an ambush would be more beneficial. And the other ten percent usually gets fucked up by something else. It's just how things work around here.

He's getting the feeling the girl isn't from around these parts.

"Eh? Why not?"

"Because this 'Sasuke' is clearly a Uchiha, given they've threatened to scoop his Sharingan out."

"Then I'll just ask nicely! I think I can sense him anyway." And then she's making for the window.

Izuna shares a glance with his brother, an unspoken 'do we stop her' met by a 'I think we should let her try, worst comes to worst and she fails, we lose no one'.

Yet… Izuna just can't sit by, not when a girl just a little older than him is about to put herself in a whole lot of danger. Plus, it'll really upset the Senju if she does manage it. The chances are very small indeed, but it'd be kinda cool to see. He just needs to get Madara on board in the next five or so minutes before the girl is out of his sensory range.

Man, he doesn't even know her name yet!


	3. Chapter 3

His ribs are probably about halfway along in the healing when things start getting… loud outside.

Sasuke pauses, tilting his head to a side at the sound, flexing his fingers in the restraints that still hold him. He'll be surprised if any of the cuts on his hands are bleeding, what with them having been held over his head for the past couple of hours. Less than ideal, but he can still feel his fingers, can still move them, so he's not in big trouble yet.

The sudden sound of a thousand or so extra footsteps hint that the Senju, however, are in very big trouble indeed. That all those footsteps sound near enough exactly the same… it's Naruto.

Sasuke chuckles, rolling his shoulders as best he can, cracking his stiff neck. For a moment, he toys with the idea of just sitting tight until Naruto's done tearing up the Senju camp looking for him. But the faint wisps of his Uchiha pride can't take the idea of being rescued so completely. The Sage's mark on his hand heats with the thought, allowing his Rinnegan to bloom to existence and a quick Shinra Tensei frees him from Hashirama's roots. They wither, as if wishing to reclaim him. They never manage it, stopping a half second later, frozen in place. Senju's probably got his hands full with Naruto and her many, many clones.

Striding to the door, Sasuke kicks it open, releasing his hold on the Sage's power a breath afterwards. He still can't get at his own chakra, the fucking seal on his back prevents that. Naruto can sort that later though. He has absolutely zero doubts on her ability to pull of his miraculous rescue; at this point, Sasuke's just hoping he gets to watch her kick all the Senjus collective asses.

"SASUKE!" Yep, that's his idiot.

Making his way past the other prisoners (all of whom gawk at his once again free form, he supposes not every prisoner is capable of freeing themselves ever couple of hours or so), Sasuke stops by his previous exit, inspecting the hastily made wooden covering. Hashirama's work. Another application of the Sage's chakra, Rinnegan and Shinra Tensei later, the dusking sun is soon lighting the corridor.

Outside, it's mayhem.

There're hundreds of Naruto clones running around the place, all engaged in battle with Senju, who are all in various stages of disbelief, stress and panic. Oh, right, the shadow clone jutsu doesn't get invented until the village is already made; they've got no idea what they're up against here.

As if she'd been waiting for him to appear, Naruto nails the Clan Head in the face with a flying kick, startling a delighted laugh from Sasuke's lips. Yep, that's Naruto alright.

Several blonde heads snap around to look at him, each one brightening up like they're flowers and he's the fucking sun or something. God, seven of those smiles directed at him after who knows how many hours apart? It's a sight to see.

"Sasuke!" One pops and then he's being flooded by an army of Naruto clones, who pluck him up and begin marching for the walls. Unlike last time, Sasuke highly doubts a timely arrival by Senju Hashirama is going to be stopping his exit, what with the fact he can see the other facing off against what he'd bet to be the real Naruto over by the wall.

"Hey, Bastard, am I really saving your ass right now?" one Naruto clone chirps, popping when one of the Senju tries to run her through a sword. Ten others descend on the attacker and the clone is replaced by another, smiling at him as the others set him back down on his feet.

"Is that a taunt, Naruto?" he asks, taking in the bright blonde hair, the whiskered cheeks that are lifted in a beaming smile; fuck, he loves her so much.

"Just pointing it out. Hey, Boss! Catch!" The many hands of the clones are on him for a mere moment and then Sasuke's sailing through the air, right towards the love of his life.

Naruto disengages from Hashirama, the Kyūbi cloak flaring in gold (good, landing in the red stuff would probably be incredibly painful) as a chakra arm forms to catch him. Sasuke sticks the landing and follows up with a neat tuck and roll to take to the ground beside Naruto. Who, in her usual display of utter idiocy, abandons her fight to throw herself at him in a tackle hug. Sasuke ribs fucking scream, a wheeze escapes his lips, but he still manages to catch his idiot and hold her tight. Her legs wrap around his hips (small mercies), arms thrown over his shoulder and forehead pressing against his.

"I found you!"

He should point out that they're in the middle of (hopefully not permanent) enemy territory, that Naruto is literally in a fight with the man known as the 'God of Shinobi' and she really should be giving him her entire focus. But like fuck if he'll focus on that when Naruto is attached to him like a limpet. Stupid Fourth War and all its trauma hadn't let them really catch up like this and they'd hoped into time travelling right away and then been separated. It's the first time he's been able to gather Naruto up in his arms and pray he can absorb as much of her luck and goodness by osmosis as he possibly can.

"You found me," Sasuke breathes back, nose lost somewhere in her hair.

"Hashirama!"

"I'm sorry! I can't interrupt this!" The First Hokage wrings his hands together, clearly ready to dive back into battle but unwilling to ruin their reunion. For that alone, Sasuke decides that this Senju is his favourite one.

"Time to go, idiot," Sasuke decides, reluctantly releasing his hold on Naruto so she can stand on the ground again. His ribs thank him for the decision, even as the phantom sensation of holding her in his arms persists.

"Time to go!" Naruto chirps and then they're gone.

.

In retrospect, Sasuke knew Naruto could move fast. But knowing and experiencing something are two very different things indeed. The speed at which the Kyūbi chakra cloak thing allows her to haul ass is unreal; his head is still spinning and he's been sitting on the floor for hear a minute now.

"Man, I can't believe I just fought old man Hashirama!" Naruto declares, hands planted on her hips and looking like she's done little more than a soft workout, not taken on the entirety of the Senju camp and won. Well, technically won; she might have fled the battle, but her mission was complete and that's exactly what she'd been aiming for, wasn't it? In her triumph, she looks beautiful, like some kind of avenging goddess. No wonder he'd spent so long staring at her as a kid, he just hadn't made the connection between what he saw and what she actually was. He's not an ignorant child anymore though. And, there's nothing to stop him from point out what he sees.

"You're beautiful you know."

Naruto fucking splutters, red not so much creeping across her face as it floods, hands flailing in front of her body as she tries to decide what to do with them.

"Damn it, Bastard! You can't just say random shit like that!"

"It's not random. I've been thinking it for a while. No reason not to say it anymore."

Naruto hides her face in her hands. It's fucking cute; this girl who just blasted through the Senju camp and made a mockery of them all goes gooey over a few choice but very truthful words. Heh, if only those assholes could see her now, they'd no doubt feel even more ashamed of the fact they'd lost to her. Fuckers.

Taking a bit of pity on her (mainly because he doesn't want to over-fry her ramen-soaked brain any more than he appears to have done so), Sasuke shifts out of his shirt and turns his back on Naruto.

"Get rid of this for me, idiot?"

.

He should have expected someone would follow them after Naruto's vicious takedown of Senju defences. He just hadn't expected it to be Uchihas stumbling across them. Especially Uchiha Madara.

Sasuke's on his feet a moment later, reaching for a sword that isn't there (bastard Senjus- oh god, he's starting to sound like the ancestors, abort, abort) as he stands by Naruto. He's not going to insult her by standing in front of her. She'd probably just plough right over him to get to the fight anyway.

The copy of him that's only just slightly off, given the (he's smug to notice) shorter height, blatantly stares. Sasuke doesn't like the stars that appear in his eyes as his gaze finds Naruto.

"You actually did it," the kid, who Sasuke suspects to be Izuna, says with wonder in his voice. "You tore through the Senjus like they were screen paper!"

"Tch, you doubted her?" Sasuke snaps back. Doesn't matter that he had his doubts before; younger Naruto did inspire doubt. He knows now it's because she didn't have any training, anyone backing her up. She's stronger for it. And it doesn't matter now because she's got him backing her up, him covering all the bases she can't manage on her own.

"Of course, he did," Uchiha fucking Madara scowls, though the way he eyes Naruto (wary and disbelieving) makes it clear exactly what he's thinking. Sasuke knows because had told him how the undead Madara had reacted to her kicking ass, had seen how the other had seemed incapable of linking the girl before him as the ass-kicking machine he'd just witnessed in action.

"Naruto's badass and can kick your ass all across Fire Country and back," Sasuke confirms, basking in the joyous smile the girl in question lavishes on him with that statement. He's only telling the truth, but clearly not enough people have been doing that in recent months. That, or she's been too worried about the war to really listen to them.

He'll just have to keep repeating it all until it sinks in, until its cemented.

"Damn right I can! And the bastard's just as good as me!"

"You're a time-traveller too, right? Does that make you my descendant? We look so alike you have to be!" Have to be-

Sasuke swings around to look at Naruto, lips in a hard line and brow heavy.

"Naruto. Did you tell them we were time-travellers? Why am I even asking, of course you did," Sasuke cuts the girl off before she can even begin to respond, running a hand down the side of his face, grimacing at the dirt and dried blood there. He needs a wash, stat. After the war, he'd really been hoping he'd be able to, you know, actually get washed on the daily. He's sweaty and stinky and Naruto had still thrown herself at him like he was the best gift she'd ever gotten. She's too good for this world and Sasuke's gonna hold tight for as long as he's able. She's the love of his life, after all.

"You're a Uchiha, so we'll take the girl as well, especially given how strong she is," Madara begins, utterly oblivious to how the both of them turn to stare, mixed looks of bamboozlement on their features. "The Senjus will no doubt be worried given the mess you've just made of their encampment; they'll need time to recuperate which will affect their mission rate-"

"We're not coming with you."

"Yeah!" Naruto cries, following up Sasuke statement with a bellow, one hand on his shoulder and the other in a closed fist, waving back and forth in Madara's general direction. Nice to see they're both on the same page. "We've got our own shit to do and we're not getting involved in a war! The cycle of hatred ends with us!"

And then, just like that, Sasuke gets the most delicious idea. It'll given Naruto everything she's ever wanted, will cement them a place in the past and Sasuke's only worry will be getting a ring on Naruto's finger.

"Naruto's gonna build a village and bring the clans together. For peace."

"Yeah! Wait, what?"

The more the idea swirls in his head, the more Sasuke likes it. Naruto knows best, has changed so many to her way of thinking. She's saved countless lives and fixed so many wrongs; she broke his curse of hatred. Even undead Itachi trusted her. Putting her as the First Hokage would make things so much easier. No massive upset between the Senju and the Uchiha as one of them is put in charge, no upset with the Biju because Naruto sure as hell won't dish them out to the other countries. Not when they're 'people' to her. Friends, even.

Yeah, Konoha led by Naruto sounds about right.

Perfect. Now he just needs to make it happen.

His eyes spin to life, Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flaring as both the Uchihas opposite them flinch back in surprise. It's too late though, he's got them in a genjutsu, marching orders to go home.

He doesn't doubt that they'll both break free. But not quick enough to stop them leaving.

"Sasuke! I can't make the village! That's Hashirama's job!"

"It was Hashirama's job. You'll be so much better at it," he knows it, can feel the truth in his bones because Naruto's had the worst of the world and she's still come back swinging and hollering for peace. "And think of all the lives you'll save by making it earlier."

There. With that seed planted, Naruto'll soon be on board.

And then Sasuke can spend the rest of his days as the Hokage's husband, supporting the love of his life in whatever she needs and just basking in life.


	4. Chapter 4

They make tracks across a good portion of Fire Country before they find the mountain. Sure, the trees may be smaller, the large roads that lead into the site may not have been developed yet, but Naruto can hone in on her homeland like a kunai seeking the bullseye.

With his ribs half-healed, Sasuke's more than capable of keeping pace with her, leaping from tree to tree with ease. Part of him wishes that they could have stopped in order to wash, though he does acknowledge that being further away from the Senju encampment (and the Uchiha, wherever they're situated at the moment) can only be a good thing. True, both he and Naruto could take them (they're unstoppable, after all, together they have the power of the Sage and have stopped a Goddess from dominating the world) but they don't have to. Not right now. What's more important is establishing peace. Which won't be able to last until they get rid of that fucker Zetsu.

Sasuke's brain whirls, putting thoughts and plans together, discarding some ideas, cementing others. They could try hunting the bastard across the lands; it's possible they'd find him. Naruto, after all, can sense ill intent. But that'd taken up so much time and it would slow their other goals; how can they create lasting peace without setting the foundations for it? So, it's best they start the village right away. Zetsu will be drawn to them in the end, if only to find out if the start-up village will be a threat to his plans to resurrect the Rabbit Goddess.

In order to gather up the clans though, they're going to have to prove themselves. Recruit them with a promise of peace and safety. For those clans to believe them… they're going to have to get a reputation. Not difficult given how powerful they are but it does mean they're going to have to start sticking their noses into things. Something Naruto is perfectly good at. And, they're going to have to prove they're too strong to be reined in by any who think they have the entitlement to make them listen. That's the part Sasuke's good at. After all, he's just told Madara to shove the 'become part of the Uchiha clan, we'll even take your blonde tag along' up his ass. As if. Naruto's no tag-along, she's the main fucking event. If anything, Sasuke's the tag-along, the mentally competent one that can plan the shit and spot things that Naruto won't. It's what his eyes are good for, isn't it?

"Hey, Bastard."

Stopping at Naruto's address, Sasuke looks out over the woodland area they've arrive in. The stream, the three trees all growing right next to each other in a near straight line; it overlaps with a memory from years ago.

He walks up to the centre tree, tapping the rough bark.

"Isn't this the trunk you get tied to, years from now?" he asks, levelling his stolen sword (fucking Senju, he wants his back, he doubts they'll use it, what with the Uchiha clan symbol that's stamped on the handle) to carve a chunk of bark off. As expected, it's the exact colour of the training stumps from their genin days. The original founders of the village must have flattened most of this clearing in order to make their training ground, leaving these three trees as the training logs.

"Shut up, bastard! Like you didn't get your ass handed to you by Kakashi-sensei!" Yeah, he had. But the other'd had twenty years of experience on him as a ninja at that point. Now, now Sasuke has the skills to wipe the floor with the other, five years of experience to twenty-five. Quite frankly, Sasuke'd say that makes him the better ninja.

"Only hands I want on my ass are yours, idiot."

Naruto fucking chokes at that one, looking away but he doesn't miss the furious blush on her face.

"D-don't say such strange things, bastard! I don't have to give you permission to touch my ass!"

"Then I won't until you do."

Naruto growls, throwing her hands up in the air to begin ranting about how 'Orochimaru and Akatsuki have made him super weird' and if he'd just 'stayed in Konoha he'd be the emotionless bastard' she knew from the start and their relationship wouldn't have gotten 'weird as hell, 'ttebayo'.

"Naruto," Sasuke cuts in, heart hammering in his chest but he needs this clearing up before they crack on with any world saving plans. He catches both her flailing arms, hesitantly wrapping his fingers between hers, waiting to make sure she's okay with the contact. She doesn't forcibly start removing her hands, nor does she try to crush his fingers, so he'll take that as a 'contact allowed'. "Do you want to go back to how it was before? As rivals?" He… he wouldn't be happy with it. That's for sure. But he'd put up with it, if only because she's Naruto and she deserves everything from him. If all she wants is a rivalry, then he'll try to reel himself in. Not to say he'll give up, he'd wait for eternity for her, if that's what she wanted. If that's what it took to make her see he's serious.

"Eh? No-no way! Twelve-year-old you was an ass! This you is much better, even if you're still a bastard."

… Aw, fuck it. He's going to admit it, isn't he? Why shouldn't he? It's not like he cares what anyone else thinks. Only Naruto matters, which is why- "I'm in love with you, idiot."

Naruto freezes, shoulders tense, lips pressing into a firm pout. It's the thinking face, an expression that says 'this news has shocked me and I don't have a clue how to respond, give me a minute to fish my brain out the ramen soup it lives in so I can answer'.

"Good! Cause I love you too, you jerk! And if you're saying I'm gonna be Hokage, then you damn well can't leave me to do all the paperwork alone!"

"Tch, looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of your life then, idiot." And all attempts at distance (not that he was trying particularly hard with that) are ruined when Naruto throws herself into his arms, legs at his waist again so she can sit against his hips and grab his hair in his hands. Sasuke takes two steps back, leaning against one of the trees before slowly lowering himself down. Doesn't matter how the bark tears at his shirt, the grass stains that'll probably end up marring the back of his trousers. Naruto in his lap? Yeah, that's the thing that has his focus. She's still holding his hair and uses it to turn his head back and forth, Sasuke scowling with the motion.

"Oi. Idiot, what're you doing."

"Looking for the hole your brain dribbled out from, 'ttebayo! You always said it'd be a braindead moron that ended up with me!" She squeezes her knees into his hips, ass resting on his thighs. Sasuke catches a hold of her wrists, waiting until she releases his hair from her grip. His scalp stings with the force, has his skull aching but he pushes past it.

Drawing her hands down to rest on his shoulders, Sasuke leans forwards, nose brushing against Naruto's. She's warm to the touch despite the cool autumn's air, her hot breath ghosting across his lips. Her eyelids flutter shut, face tilting to a side to line their lips up. Sasuke draws back just the slightest bit, watching her lean a bit further forwards to close the distance. Then, he does it again. On the third time, Naruto huffs, mutters a quick 'bastard' under her breath before her hands snap up to cradle his head.

He's laughing when they share their first kiss.

Probably the first sign that this will be the healthiest relationship a Uchiha has ever been in and ever will be. Until their younger selves are born years down the line, that is. Heh. He best set a good example then.

* * *

Senju Tobirama sits on the floor of Hashirama's hastily constructed house, legs folded beneath him and a cut of tea to hand. They'd had to move the whole encampment within the past six hours, unable to remain in a place where they have been attacked. Not one death but… they had been made a mockery of.

Placing his cup down on the floor, Tobirama watches as the liquid within hugs up to the left side. The flooring is uneven; Hashirama has had to construct too much in too little time. He'll put money on the fact this isn't the only house to have a titling floor. Some will probably have ceilings too low or too high for the occupants. But a rushed job will produce rushed results.

Speaking of his brother-

Hashirama stumbles into the room, hands wrapped around a cloth covered sword. The Uchiha's sword.

Gritting his teeth, Tobirama shifts into a more comfortable position, well aware of what he will be expected to do now.

To begin with, believing they'd captured Izuna (the one person Madara would stand down for, the one person he'd surrender for), it'd been Tobirama sent to interrogate him. They'd met multiple times on the battlefield, so it was understandable why their father had thought he'd be best to drill the bastard for answers. That Tobirama was one of their strongest sensors and would be able to judge any fluctuation that came with lying was just the cherry on top.

But it hadn't been Izuna.

This one (Sasuke, the blonde had called him Sasuke) had acted different. There hadn't been that undercurrent of fear any of the other Uchihas would have upon learning they were captured by the Senju. He'd been a cocky bastard. With good reason, it'd seem. That first escape attempt; the genjutsu had been stronger than Izuna's. He'd made a mockery of him. A genjutsu cast through the hand instead of the eyes, knowing that's what he'd expect of a Uchiha. He'd heard the reports of how he'd worked outside, how his sword style was different to Izuna's.

And that's not even getting into the other one.

The blonde who'd come for her 'Sasuke'.

When the one-woman-invasion had begun, Tobirama had given off three blows before he realised what was happening. He'd thought that when each of the women popped, disappearing into a cloud of smoke, they were substituting themselves with the very air itself. It'd only been after he'd taken out the sixth and felt the chakra disperse from the creation, returning to the original, that he'd realised what they were. Some kind of solid clone, a chakra heavy technique. And there were hundreds of them, all invading at the same time, all crying out for 'Sasuke'.

"Can you track him?" Hashirama asks, pulling back the cloth to present the sword to him. Tobirama takes it carefully. It's finely crafted. Enough chakra has been poured through this blade for an impression to remain. It'd seem their mysterious Uchiha is lightning natured.

And so blatantly a Uchiha.

Sneering at the clan symbol stamped on the handle of the blade, Tobirama adjusts his grip on the weapon, running his own lightning-tinted chakra through it. The metal sparks with ease, a weapon not just used to this level of abuse, but one built specifically to take it.

"He's outside of my range right now," Tobirama admits; not unsurprising, given they'd travelled in the opposite direction as to where they could feel the girl and Sasuke going. If this weapon had belonged to the girl though… Tobirama reckons he could easily find her.

That swirling mass of chakra had not just been bountiful, it'd been incredibly distinctive too. So potent that every clash with his brother had rattled his very bones.

"I think the girl is a sage."

At that, Tobirama does snap to attention, watching his brother's usually cheery face twist with wistfulness. Tobirama can understand why. Given Hashirama's powers, accessing the nature chakra in the air around them had come easily to him. A good thing, given that Madara had awakened a terrible, advanced Sharingan around about the same time. Without Hashirama, Tobirama is sure they'd have been unable to match the other. But, what his elder brother is saying right now-

"Are you sure?"

"Sage chakra has a very obvious tone to it," Hashirama expanded with a soft smile, one hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "If she hadn't have attacked us last night, I think I'd want to talk to her!"

"Don't lie. You want to talk to her anyway."

Hashirama breaks out in the usual guilty laughter, stealing Tobirama's tea and drinking it down. The only reason he doesn't scold his brother is for the weariness that rests heavy over his form.

"We need to step up. To know there is such a terrifying woman out there, and the Uchiha who had his chakra sealed but still almost escaped…" If they are with the Uchiha Clan- well, the Senju will be on high alert for now.

And, of course, his brother has to ruin things with a tackles comment. "Yeah… but all those clones were so cool, right? I've never seen anything like it! That Uchiha's a lucky man!"


	5. Chapter 5

"A…are you sure she'll be okay?"

Arms folded across his chest, Sasuke fires off an irritated glare at the fool that is not only questioning the one reassurance he'd given the populous, but the fool that is idiotic enough to question Naruto's methods.

They're in a small seaside town, one that doesn't exist in the time they came from. Oh, the buildings are falling apart and the whole place is dirt poor. But cultures have survived on that for donkeys. Nah, the reason Sasuke knows for sure that this town isn't around in a hundred or so years isn't because he has been to this particular spot before (he's not a seaside person; sand gets fucking everywhere and he hates it) but because of what's about to wash up on shore. Oh, a tsunami they might have been able to run from, might have been able to build after. But a Biju? Yeah, that's not happening.

Ignoring the quaking town leader (needs to grow a pair of balsa and his brat of a son needs to get his eyes off of Naruto's ass before he gets stabbed for it), Sasuke perches himself on the edge of a barrel, plucking a tomato from the recently abandoned food stall. Hell, when Naruto pulls this off, he doubts they' d try paying a ninja to bring him to justice for one stolen tomato. Not that any ninja alive other than Naruto herself could extract vengeance upon him, but that's neither here nor there.

The eyes still haven't left Naruto's ass.

Sasuke drops the fucker in a genjutsu. Serves him right; Naruto's worth so much more than to just be objectified by some small-town hick.

"Sasuke, you lazy bastard! Are you really just gonna sit this one out?!" Naruto's twisted around now, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. With her long blonde hair tied up in a single high ponytail, only her bangs frame her face. But what a face it is; tanned skin, whiskered cheeks, blue eyes that he could wake up to every morning and know then and there it was going to be a good day-

"Sasuke!"

"Tch, this is your area of expertise. I trust you." That's it. Naruto can handle the Biju like no other, Naruto can save the world. He's just here as her support, her shadow. She still looks at him as if he's hung the fucking moon.

Tucking the smile on his lips away, hiding his chin in the large collar of his shirt, Sasuke folds his arms and waits for the show to begin.

And begin it does. Naruto's opening act is all fireworks and sunshine, all bright sparks and 'look at me, I'm so good a ninja I don't have to hide, I can kick your ass out in the open'. The Biju chakra that is no longer the choking, burning energy he remembers from their fight during his defection (what an idiot he was; he'll never turn his back on Naruto like that again). Instead, it wraps around her in a billowing cloak. He's seen it already, has fought alongside it. But it's a damn sight different when you're just sitting back and watching. He doesn't have to worry about the incoming enemy, can just focus on Naruto. Can centre her as if she's his whole world (she is).

"Oi! Isobu! Yo! Stop your charge!"

Naruto's bellow doesn't change anything. There's still a fuck ton of Biju racing towards them. Sasuke spares a look for the few town's inhabitant that have already accepted their lot and not even tried to flee. Huh. He wonders what it's like to be that helpless. Even as a child, he'd have tried to fight. Even in the face of overwhelming odds.

He's like Naruto in that respect. Not just like her (no one is just like her), but it's a similar quality they share.

Sasuke's not particularly worried. Even if this is one of the rare 'lessons' that the universe has decided Naruto needs to learn, they'll survive. Sasuke's always been good at that and great things than the universe have tried to kill Naruto.

He doesn't think she'll ever die. Not until she's good and ready, anyway.

He hopes good and ready means after a long life with him by her side, a couple of kids, and a whole lot of grandkids.

Sasuke'll be able to relax on the porch and bask in his sure to still be exuberant wife's presence. With any luck, the Uzumaki personality will skip a generation and he'll get to raise some calm, chilled-out kids.

Sasuke's never been particularly lucky though, so resigns himself to two decades of raising brats.

He'll manage. It'll probably be his life's work, but he can't think of anything he'd rather be doing than that.

"Isobu!" Naruto screams again, that same one that leaves her voice raspy and raw. She charges. She glows. She gets bigger.

The entire town gawk as the Kyūbi appears in a flare of golden chakra.

And this? This is the part where they start building a reputation.

.

It takes about a minute for Naruto to calm the other Biju. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but it's about a hundred and ten terrified heartbeats for the civilians. And they get thrown around. A lot. Sasuke's stuck both himself and his barrel to the ground via chakra, but the rest of the town's folk are rolling back and forth, tumbling all over. It's undignified.

He helps himself to another tomato when the stall gets blown to bits though, produce flying everywhere. Soon enough though, here they are. The Three Tails staring down at a no-longer glowing Naruto, a town still standing against all odds, and awestruck civilians. Sasuke hops off his barrel. With his chakra no longer running through it, it splits apart at the seams, sea-water pouring out and fish flopping breathlessly on the ground. Huh. Explains the smell.

"-can we meet up and I'll tell you all about it?" He gets close to Naruto as she finishes up her 'I'm a saviour of the world here to finish your father's work, butter won't melt and I hung the moon' spiral, slipping his arms around her waist and dropping his head on her shoulder. He has to hunch a bit for it, but that's no problem. It's not even a problem when Naruto knocks her head back, pressing her cheek against his for a moment. Then, she's right back into business mode. The soon they have a working village, the sooner they can both relax. He'll have to keep reminding his idiot savant that her clones can do the paperwork. No way is he losing her to the beast of bureaucracy.

Naruto's clearly waiting for the Biju to respond verbally. Instead it… it shrinks? No, it breaks apart into thousands of miniature versions of itself, every last one dropping back into the ocean barring a single one. The size of a cat, the Biju stands before Naruto and looks expectantly up at her and- and fuck, it even lifts two 'arms' in the universal 'pick me up'. Which Naruto does. Without hesitation.

And then, as if this is a completely normal day, she spins on her heels to fucking beam at him. Stupid sunshine smile; she should know he can't resist that. If she doesn't, he's not about to tell her. She'll abuse the power and it'll probably end bad for him.

… eh, she'll catch on eventually. Maybe.

"Right! I'm ready to head back home, Sasuke!" Right. Home.

He's already home. Home is with her. But he gets the idea.

Then, he gets _an idea_.

* * *

"What have you got."

Izuna tilts his head to a side at his brother's sharp snap of a demand, Fūinjutsu brush dangling between his forefinger and thumb. He's not a complete idiot though; he has dried it before settling down to eavesdrop on the current conversation. It's not like it's information he shouldn't know; he's part of the 'hunt down the bastard Uchiha' team. And holy fuck, he still wakes up in a cold sweat even now, a week after getting caught in the other's genjutsu. If he wanted to, that 'Sasuke' could have easily killed both of them. It's a chilling thought.

Two very dangerous people; a Uchiha strong enough to capture the 'strongest Uchihas' in his own genjutsu, a woman strong enough to overrun an entire Senju encampment.

And neither of them want anything to do with the Uchiha Clan! The only silver lining is that they clearly haven't entertained the idea of joining up with the Senju either.

Upon returning to camp after the genjutsu (they'd not even managed to break it; it'd worn off after an hour), Madara had shaken down every middle-aged man that could have possibly fathered the bastard Uchiha with a determined fury that Izuna's not seen since he was a kid training (back when he'd been meeting with.. the Senju). But no one had confessed to it, even when Father had held the emergency meeting.

Ever since, they'd been on high alert (and there's another kick in the teeth; they'd had to move because the woman knew their location and, unlike those Senju bastards, building homes takes time for them). Coupled with that, they'd formed the taskforce.

It's not the first time a Uchiha has gone off and tried to make it on their own. It is the first time that one has kicked ass so soundly that they've had to make a team to retrieve him, kicking and screaming if needs be.

Izuna hopes that the woman will come back with him too. What had Sasuke called her? Naru something?

"They were last seen in Namiai," one cousin reads from the report, voice balancing dangerously between bored and nervous, "where they-"

Izuna jolts at the sudden cut off, half expecting the man to have a kunai sticking out his jugular or something. But, nope. Instead, he's full out gawking at the report, one he should have read before coming in but clearly hasn't.

"Where they what," Madara snaps, not giving their poor cousin time to continue. He snatches the report from his hands with a growl, flicking the scroll open the rest of the way. Izuna's up on his feet a moment later, peeking over Madara's shoulder (not that such a thing is difficult; they're pretty much the same height and he's two years younger than Madara so that doesn't bode well for his brother, who only has a year or so of growing left to stretch up those extra few inches he needs to be physically imposing).

He scans the scroll. Stops. Scans again. Looks to Madara for a hint that it's a joke.

His brother's stony faced.

Not a joke then.

"So…" Izuna trails off, rubbing at the back of his head as he drops back onto his cushion, working the brush he's still holding onto back and forth between his hands. How does he put this? How can he verbalise it aloud? Oh, it's one thing to say they're going to catch the bastard Uchiha by overwhelming his with numbers (preferably when the multiplying girl isn't next to him but they can get her with a Sharingan genjutsu if needed). It's another thing altogether to get the bastard Uchiha that's in cahoots with the girl who tames Bijus. Well, not technically tames. But, stopping a Biju in its tracks from attacking a town and then getting it to disperse into miniatures of itself, taking one away from the ocean with her? Yeah, that's as close to taming Biju as Izuna could ever imagine.

Given that yesterday he wouldn't have dreamed such a thing possible, then this is- yeah. This is.

Fuck.

"What else happened?" Izuna asks. He'd not dared to read beyond the second paragraph, too busy trying to compartmentalise exactly what had been in that first section of text.

Stopping Bijus. Taming Bijus. A chakra form that looked suspiciously alike a Biju.

Shit. The Bijus can't become human, can they? He hadn't found himself interested in the Kyūbi in human form, had he?

"The Bastard-" When Madara says the personal nickname he has for Sasuke, it's always said with venom and a capital letter. "-went on a rant about the village for peace their building."

Well fuck. It's one thing for the two of them to say their building a village where there'll be no war. It's another thing entirely to say they're doing it after stopping a Biju in its tracks.

Holy shit. They might actually get their idea off the ground. That's… that's ridiculous. It won't work, can't work, can it?

Izuna looks to Madara for any hint of what he should be thinking about all this, but his big brother is already storming out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

"How do your goods arrive at the village?"

"Er, I just send out some clones when we're running low?"

"And you've got no buildings?"

"Well, not yet-"

"Do you have the infrastructure of the village pre-planned?"

"The infer-what now?"

It's almost painful listening to the current Nara Head of this time period interrogate Naruto. It's her own fault; they'd come in and asked who was in charge. Naruto had sent him one fleeting look (as if to check if he was going to challenge her for the title of First Hokage, head of the pack, leader of the free world) before she cheerfully announced herself to be the one intending to head the village. A village of two ninja and two Biju.

Yeah, Sasuke hadn't missed the way all three other ninja present had eyed the two miniature Biju. The miniature Biju had eyed the right back.

"What are your plans for separating the previously warring clans?"

"Separating the wa- We're not separating anyone, 'ttebayo!"

Scrap that, it is painful.

Snorting, Sasuke kicks off from the cliffside he'd been leaning against, stalking towards the three grown men that are hassling Naruto. Well, the Nara Clan Head is hassling Naruto, the other two are just standing back and looking equal parts grumpy and imposing. It's a good thing Sasuke doesn't give a fuck about that and Naruto doesn't notice it.

"We're literally just starting out, Dickhead," Sasuke throws in, refusing to show any of the pain that zings through his body when Naruto elbows him for the insult. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't already know this though. And you wouldn't be here if you weren't ready to risk it." It's obvious how your eyes keep drifting towards the Three and Nine Tails is what he doesn't say. But the Nara Head hears him loud and clear anyway.

The Yamanaka and Akimichi head have both straightened up at his approach and it's utterly astounding how they're dismissing Naruto, despite the reports they'll have already read. They hadn't exactly been quiet in that little seaside town, nor during their return to base. Multiple stops at multiple villages, literally sitting down to eat with two miniature Biju (because Naruto had summoned her own up, just smaller than what Sasuke had ever seen him before) and Naruto's utter inability to not chat up a storm with the locals; yeah, plenty of time for rumours to circulate. The misogyny in this time runs rampant. He'll enjoy watching Naruto bulldoze over it all. The best part is, unless someone explicitly says 'women can't do that' to her face, Naruto won't even think to acknowledge it. Which will piss them off even more.

The Nara head eyes them again for another minute; Sasuke's not intimidated and Naruto doesn't even register him as a threat.

"Tch, how troublesome. You can count the Nara Clan in." No 'of you'll have us', 'no, we'd like to join your village'. It's phrased as if they're the lucky ones in this scenario.

"Great!" Naruto calls, surging forwards with one hand out, far too fast for the other to react to until she's already shaking his hand back and forth, too roughly as well, if the Nara's pained grimace is any indication.

Sasuke smirks.

A moment later, Naruto is releasing the other's hand (the Nara nurses his palm with a superstitious frown, eyes considering) and turning back to their recently made clearing. Then, there's hundreds more Naruto's probably a good thousand.

The other men gawk. Well, the clone jutsu hasn't been invented yet, so of course the solid replicas will be a surprise. What isn't a surprise is that the Senju haven reported this skill out to other 'allied' clans. Of course they don't want others knowing how soundly they got trounced by a complete unknown.

"Right, Team Toad, you're on Nara houses. Team Ramen, Yamanaka. Team-" she cuts off, swinging around to look at him, whole face lighting up as if he has the power to turn the fucking sun on or something. "Team Hawk! Akimichi homes! Go go go!"

"Right on, Boss!"

"And what would you like me do to, Boss?" Sasuke asks, teasing, one set of fingers dancing up the bared flesh of her upper arm. Either Naruto's more oblivious than he first thought (a miracle, given her sensei) or she doesn't comprehend that people can flirt on the job, because he just blinks at him.

"Eh? I need your help for the alliance writing stuff, Bastard. You're my only other witness! Unless..." she trails off, eyes sweeping over the Nine Tails. It opens one eye, red and menacing.

"Not a fucking chance, Naruto."

.

They all take a seat at a table very hastily presented by Naruto clones. Though they'd come in full of bluster and self-assurance, the three clan heads are starting to look rather swept away in the epicentre of Hurricane Naruto. There're orange clothes bodies as far as Sasuke's eyes can see (never mind their inferior vision), many yelling at one another, all working hard and there's already several logs being shaved down to create walls. Yeah, she might not have the Mokuton, but the village will be built regardless. All he's good for is clearing the landscape via Rinnegan push technique.

Naruto sits herself down with her usual grace (none) and good cheer (plenty). He can all but feel the headache that is steadily oncoming as he sits himself down beside Naruto, on the opposite side of the table to the other clan heads. All three are eying him now, though the Nara seems to be the only one that has clicked onto the fact he's a Uchiha, what with the way his eyes have been scanning his cloak, looking for the clan sigil.

He probably got an eyeful of the whacking great big fan on his back.

Now the poor bastard is probably wondering how long it'll be until the Uchiha descend on the 'deserter', worrying about getting caught associating with him.

The Three Tails swans over, dropping itself down across Naruto's lap like a particularly large, scaly cat. It's three tails swish ominously in a non-existent breeze, the picture of contentment as Naruto's hand comes down on it's weird-as-fuck head like she's gonna start stroking it.

The three clan heads settle. Yeah, sitting with a miniature tailed beast on your lap is a fucking power move if Sasuke ever did see one and he's the one here used to Naruto's weird ass luck.

"Introductions are in order, I guess," the Nara leader murmurs, rubbing at his chin and very deliberately not looking at the lounging Biju. Sasuke leans back on one hand, the other coming to rest over Naruto's, the one not stroking the Three Tails' head. She abandons her half-hearted polite façade in order to fucking beam at him once again. His personal sunshine; he feels warm just sitting next to her. God, he could have been basking in this for years if he'd got his shit together. Aww well, he'll just have to make up for lost time here then, won't he?

"I'm Nara Shikato."

"Yamanaka Inomoto."

"Akimichi Chōdai."

Yeah, those names mean fuck all to Sasuke. As they're all clearly middle-aged, chances are good it was their sons/daughters who took up the mantel of the clan by the time Hashirama and Madara pulled their shit together.

With Naruto here though, they don't have to sit on their hands, to twiddle their thumbs and wait for the two biggest bastards in the area to stop taking pot-shots at each other.

"Nice to meet'cha! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and this is Uchiha Sasuke!" Naruto lifts their joined hands as if it's something to celebrate. Well, to them, their presence is something to celebrate, even if they don't fully believe it yet. It's worth celebrating for him too; somehow, by some hiccup in the universe, he's actually managed to catch Naruto's attentions, her affections. He let them go once, back when he was young and stupid. Now though, he's desperately gathering up as much as he can to hold on to for as long as he can.

"Uzumaki?" Yamanaka blinks, goggling at the very much-not-red hair as if he's expecting her to whip it off and pronounce the blonde to be a wig. She'd look good with either colour but there's something about her particular shade of blonde that's just, lovely.

"Yeah, that's me!" Utterly oblivious. Eh, as long as she knows he's in love with her, Sasuke can live with that.

.

They end up hammering things after about an hour of discussion. Sasuke's the one who fends off the terms that would lock Naruto into situations that would get fucking difficult later on in their lives, and Naruto's the one who reels the trio of clan heads back in when Sasuke gives them a particularly vicious shut down (they deserved it). All the while, the army of clones continued their construction of the village. They little homes they've got up aren't fancy, they aren't a long-term build, but they'll sure as hell do until they can source some actual carpenters. Clearly Naruto picked a thing or two up when the Leaf was destroyed by Pein.

They shake hands on it at the end. The Nara will provide medicine, the Akimichi food, the Yamanaka herbs for the Nara's to use and poisons that they'll all have access to. While Naruto will do what she does best; protect her home. While it'd come about suspiciously easy, Sasuke does have to keep reminding himself that these people have yet to find the way to create a jinchūriki; here, Biju are seen as unstoppable forces of nature. And Naruto sits with two acting like retried fat nin-cats.

He's a Uchiha, he's allowed to make that comparison.

"-estimate all three clans will be here within three days. Will this be sufficient time to prepare?" The Nara, the figurehead of these three, asks, dark eyes still focused with a kunai-like intensity on Naruto. Their hands are still linked; her palms are free of sweat and pleasantly warm against his own skin.

"Yeah, sure! I'll get up as many temporary homes as I can before you arrive, maybe go look for a carpenter or three in the nearby villages. Hey, Sasuke, should I recruit some civilians now that it won't just be us having to help look after them?"

"Probably a good idea," he concludes, ignoring the offense on the other ninjas' faces (the fuck is up with them?).

"Are you engaged?"

Naruto chokes. Full on chokes, hunches over and hacks and coughs. Sasuke lets go of her hand long enough to slap her on the back a few times, just until she's done with her big show and dance of 'oh wow, you've shocked me, I was not expecting that'. While he's hammering away at the love of his life to ensure she doesn't die by her own stupidity (of course she'd suddenly struggle properly when they're hurling ridiculous questions like that about), he levels a fierce glare on the Yamanaka.

"We're in a relationship-" and fuck if he can't help but smirk/smile at that statement. "-we haven't even thought about marriage yet." We. Not I. Because Sasuke most certainly has thought about marriage (about a house and three plus kids and a stupid little picket-fence that he'd sneered at the vapid girls in class for dreaming of). He doesn't know if Naruto has and they've certainly not spoken on the topic.

"If I'm gonna marry anyone, it's gotta be the bastard!" Naruto suddenly jumps in with, slamming a closed fist down into her other palm. "No one else in the world would be able to put up with him!"

Well, she's probably not wrong there.

Sasuke slips his arm around her waist, levelling his best Uchiha-standard glare on the Yamanaka, Mangekyō flaring.

She's taken, bastard. Go find some other kickass kunoichi for your idiot of a son.

* * *

Senju Tobirama jolts to a sudden stop at the sight before him, utterly ignoring the civilian he'd just been haggling groceries with (they need more meat but moving the entire clan compound two weeks ago hadn't exactly been cheap).

No matter how he looks at the scene before him, it remains the same (it remains worrisome).

The woman that ran them out of their own clan compound retrieving a Uchiha (a Uchiha they've luckily not seen among their opponent's men) stands alongside what is clearly a Nara and an Akimichi, chatting with the local blacksmith. She's gesturing wildly in a manner that's terrifyingly alike his brother, hands all over the place as she bargains, though for what, Tobirama isn't sure. He will find out though. Father has put out orders for them to gather intel on the woman and her Uchiha (Sasuke. The many, many clones that day had called him Sasuke), but stated they should only approach if Hashirama is in the vicinity. This sombre order had come right after the report about the Three Tails.

Tobirama is half convinced that it was all an illusion cast by the Uchiha (the bastard's genjutsu had been far stronger than any other Tobirama's encountered, even one's placed upon him by the Sharingan), though it cannot be fully discounted.

Not with how the Akimichi Clan and their two allied clans have mobilized.

A Nara and an Akimichi in close proximity to the clone-woman is potentially bad news. His best bet would be to press his chakra down, hide his presence and observe them from a distance.

Before he can, the woman spins on heel, spots him and waves. Full arm in the sky, swaying back and forth, overly exuberant with the motion and a massive smile on his face. The spitting image of Hashirama in action, if not colouring.

He'll never voice them aloud, but he suddenly finds himself inundated with questions for his father.

Then, he spots what he'd mistaken for a small summons on her shoulder- shit.

It's the Three Tails.

Fuck.


	7. Chapter 7

"These are the plans for the sword?"

"Yes," Sasuke grits out, cursing the motherfucking Senjus once again because he has a perfectly serviceable sword that was stolen from him, damn them, "can you make it?" He'd go retrieve his own sword but, on the minuscule chance that he fucks up and the Senju recapture him, he doesn't want to cause Naruto anymore stress. Not with the Hyūga Clan making their way here and due any day now.

Maybe after they've secured those fuckers for their Konoha.

The blacksmith that Naruto had enticed back to the village with a promise of steady customers and loyal clients willing to defend his shop from would-be-thieves frowns. Though his shop is little more than a shack (like every other building here), he's already began selling kunai after a day of reviewing the ones Naruto had on her when they tumbled back from the future. He'd been able to almost perfectly replicate them and, given these are kunai made a hundred years in the future, this made them better than anything in the present.

The Akimichi and Naras had already put their orders in with the astounded man and there's an impatient looking Yamanaka in the line behind Sasuke who's probably here for the same thing.

"I- yeah. I could do this now that I've got me some apprentices," the man grumbles, one hand rubbing at the stubbly beard that brackets his jaw. "Might take a few days though."

"I don't have plans to use it yet." Nor does he need to; he could take down anyone in this era without a sword (though he would be pushed to manage Hashirama or Madara… maybe. How good are they as old teenagers anyway? Probably not better than Sasuke is now. Certainly not better than Naruto).

"Better to have and not need then to need and not have, right, Lad?" The blacksmith chuckles to himself, inspecting his weathered, wrinkled hands. "It's on the house, what with your pretty girl being the one to bring me such a boost in business." Tch, as far as Sasuke had heard it, Naruto'd had to lure the man here with the promise of looking at her 'amazing kunai and shuriken yes you can copy the design if you make them for us'. Still, a free sword is a free sword, so it is begrudgingly that Sasuke thanks the other. Associated as tightly to Naruto as he is, not using his manners would reflect poorly on her for the company she keeps so it's with a stiff upper lip that Sasuke doesn't tear into everyone and anyone that pisses him off now. Just the people that aren't officially part of Konoha.

And the Yamanaka heir. The fucker's dad has clearly talked Naruto up to him and now he stares at her with big puppy eyes. Sasuke's not bothered by it, not really. Naruto's loyal as fuck and for some obscure reason, she wants him.

He's not worthy, but he'll greedily hog all the love she offers him anyway.

He'd ask how he got so lucky but, with how his life has been up until this point, it's about fucking time he got some good luck for a change.

.

Striding down the 'street' (little more than a steadily wearing path across the grass with the slightest slips of exposed mud) Sasuke offers a nod to the two Naras that greet him, ignores the fluttering lashes of an Akimichi and the civilian she's hanging out with. He follows the pull of that deliciously warm and ferocious chakra, taking a left, then a right, then another left until he's at the 'Hokage's Office'.

It's not an office, can only pass as a building if you squint and try not to focus too much on the actual shape of it. But Naruto had told her clones that the homes of families came first, so the crappy lean-to against the cliff-face stands as their office.

That she's painted a whacking great big leaf on the outside is the only indication that this is the place she's working out of. Hell, she barely even uses it half the time, he's pretty sure the only time she goes inside is to store paperwork in there so it doesn't get wet when it rains or blown away in a particularly strong gust of wind.

Right now, the love of his life is sat up to table (the same table at which they'd hammered their agreement with the three clans out a week ago) with the usual three, though Nara seems to have brought his daughter along. Now that one, Sasuke doesn't mind. She's sensible, smart and, most importantly, already engaged. She hasn't even looked his way other than to assess his capabilities in working out the laws they'll be laying down for Konoha.

Now, Sasuke hadn't been the most dedicated student when it came to the ins and outs of Konoha (too busy becoming a 'strong' ninja to avenge his clan), but laws? His father had been the Chief of the Force; Sasuke sure as fuck knows his laws. More importantly, he knows the ones that works, the ones that don't, and the ones that were just plain stupid. He knows all that shit and Naruto's got the moral compass. They'll get this cracked… soon enough.

"Sasuke-san," the Akimichi acknowledges him with a dip of his head and Sasuke returns it, taking his customary seat beside Naruto. Proving just how touched starved she is, she crawls right into his lap. He wraps his arms around her body as she jams her feet under the table. And, proving how easily adaptable good ninja are, none of the others sitting before them so much as blink. Well, they have been exposed to Naruto's antics for over a week now. If Sasuke were to guess, he'd say the tipping point was when the Nine Tails went full sized to clean a patch of forest for the rest of the village and Naruto had done nothing but coo (and not get her head bitten off for it).

"What are we focusing on today?"

"Criminal law, geared more towards the civilians we're expecting to populate the village now."

Gee, what fun.

.

"Urgh, my brain is like mush! Mush I say!" Naruto rests her cheek on his shoulder once the clan leaders have buggered off to report back home. Nana Shikana follows them a moment after, but not before she sent Naruto a wink.

"Didn't realise there was a brain in there to turn to mush, Idiot," Sasuke all but purrs, eyes closed so he can just focus on the sensation of Naruto in his lap, all warm and smelling like herbal shampoo. She must have cut a deal with the Yamanaka's for some of their hair care products. Sasuke doesn't mind, though he does miss the usually overpowering aura of ramen. Speaking of-

"I've got a guy arriving in two days that I enticed away from another village," he mutters, chin atop her head, arms around her waist and just basking. This. This is what he wants from life, time to just sit and exist with Naruto, to know the most important thing in the world is safe and well and happy. And she's gonna be happy.

"Just one guy, that's all? You're gonna have to step up your recruitment efforts, Bastard."

He smirks, one thumb wiggling under the hem of her shirt to begin drawing lazy circles on the tanned flesh beneath.

"Just one guy," Sasuke confirms, smug, "and is name is Ichiraku Ruiga."

He's suddenly pinned to the floor, Naruto sitting on his lap, hands on his shoulders and seemingly one push away from shaking the answers out of him.

"Old man Teuchi's ancestor?! But, I thought Teuchi was the first in the family to do the ramen business! Ichiraku's only opened thirty-four years before we came back."

"Tch, turns out his ancestor had tried the ramen business before; he was about a month from going out of business from no steady income when I found him yesterday. Promised him a steady stream of customers."

"He must have passed his recipes down the family line," Naruto concludes, still sitting atop him with stars in her eyes, as if he's just hung the moon, the sun and everything else that was needed to get the world spinning. Like she can't believe her luck.

Sasuke certainly hadn't been able to believe his luck when he'd found the man the day before.

"I love you, ya know?" Naruto breathes, still looking utterly enchanted by the gift he's given her. His hot palms rest on her legs, fingernails scraping back and forth along the rough material.

"Tch. Maybe you'll say that someday without the promise of ramen." He's got more to say on the subject, is more than ready to confess his own love, but Naruto kisses him and, yeah, that's an acceptable distraction.

.

The Hyūga and Ichiraku Ruiga arrive at the same time. He can see that it all but devastates Naruto to not give the man the reception he deserves (in her eyes anyway), but she needs to show the Hyūga a modicum of respect. It's a problem swiftly solved by a Naruto clone, but it doesn't change the fact that it won't be the actual Naruto settling the man in; that much is evident on the original's face.

Sasuke scoops up her hand, weaving his fingers through hers, so well-practiced with the different motions he half expects to start forming hand seals with her. Huh. There's an idea.

"Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" It's a branch member that speaks. Yeah, he might have had a lot of shit going on when he was in the Chunin Exams, but he focused enough to pay attention to Neji's spiral of 'woe is me'. Naruto could have one-upped him on tragic backstory alone, but she didn't. Just kicked his ass instead. He appreciates that about her.

"Huh? Yeah, that's me! Which one of you is in charge?"

Hand, meet forehead. Sasuke draws in a long, deep breath, reminding himself that Naruto's an orphan. She didn't have any of the training in making nice like other clan children will have done. Now, Sasuke himself could do this, if push came to shove and it meant the world to Naruto. But, she's always been able to get people onside before. Even those who had been blatantly antagonistic towards her. So, he'll sit back and enjoy.

The branch member is frowning, a nervous tilt to his eyes and Sasuke hides the smirk he wants to show behind his high collar.

And so it begins.

.

To begin with, negotiations seem to be going well. The Hyūga agree to the teaching aspect, the concept of the academy and sharing some knowledge to improve future generations. They agree to mixed teams, only humming over the concept of outsiders to the clan being able to dictate what level a ninja is at. But they agree. Everything is going well, right up until the seal thing comes up.

Naruto puts her foot down, very sternly informing the Hyūga that they stop branding each other or she doesn't want them in Konoha. The Hyūga leader, one Hyūga Hideki, scoffs at her. Right up until Naruto nods, stands up, and then begins walking away. Sasuke stays put for a second longer, just to enjoy the sheer outrage that spreads across the man's face. He doesn't say anything, doesn't call out to Naruto. Probably assuming that it's a scare tactic, that she's expecting him to fold. That, or he's expecting her to turn around, realise he's not going to budge, and accept their practice.

He doesn't know Naruto, no one in this time period does. No one but Sasuke.

Getting to his feet himself, he stretches, shoulders rolling and already well aware that they'll be sitting down at whatever shack Ichiraku Ruiga has occupied for a dinner Naruto's managed to weasel out of him. He meets the Hyūga Head's eyes, utterly unbothered by the Byakuran veins that have been bulging around his temples since they met at the village's 'entrance' (if the start of a dirt path could be classified as such.

"Once you drop the branding practice, you know where to find us. If you're still around by nightfall with no intentions of joining, we'll assume your intentions are malicious and respond in kind."

Just as he finishes speaking, just as the Hyūga opens his mouth to retort with some kind of uppity, 'I am far more important than you, whelp, show me some respect', the Nine Tails crashes through the undergrowth. He's settled on a form about the size of a grown man when standing on all fours (Sasuke hasn't missed that the bastard fox is a half-foot taller than him), but with the chakra he refuses to tone down, it's still wet-your-fucking-pants-in-fear overwhelming. You know, if you aren't used to his presence like Sasuke begrudgingly is.

"Uchiha," he snarls, burning eyes slits, furry brow heavy. "For some god-forsaken reason, Naruto expects you to join her for dinner."

"Yeah, I'm coming."

"Or don't. Then perhaps she'll finally recognise that your bloodline brings nothing but despair and devastation."

"There's a reason I've not gone crawling to the Uchiha Clan."

"Because you're a fucking idiot who is in love with Naruto." Well, he wouldn't exactly call himself a fucking idiot, but Sasuke cannot disagree with the rest of that statement.

He leaves the clearing, Hyūga Clan all but forgotten, too busy fending off the Nine Tails' attempts to weasel Naruto away from him. Like fuck is he giving her up. He's learnt to recognise a good thing when he's got it, even if it's taken him years. And what he's got with Naruto? Yeah, that's good.


	8. Chapter 8

Breathing in, Uchiha Izuna stills, half crouching, half cowering behind the rocky outcrop. He can see cousin Torazo doing the exact same thing, a single kunai clutched in his trembling hand. Only the smallest of trembles though. Hell, Izuna's trembling too; how could he not, given what's on the other side of their shelter? Slowly, painfully slowly, he draws his sword, silent as the still night, every breath as shallow as he can keep it without losing consciousness. He angles the blade carefully, adjusting until he can see around the rock formation they hide behind. And yes, he is hiding. But Izuna doesn't doubt any other fucker would be doing so too, given what's on the other side.

In the surface of his blade, the image of two Biju is reflected. The large blue cat with two tails, the five tailed dolphin-horse-thing, side by side. They're sizing each other up and the Uchiha Spare (because Madara's the heir, though he might have to get to work on a spare himself if things go south here for Izuna) does his best to supress the swallow his body wants to perform. If two Biju start fighting out here, it'll destroy every town, village and hideout nearby. Certainly, they'll squash Izuna like a grape, probably won't even notice he's here. Not exactly the way he wants to bite the dust.

Then, then they start talking.

"Kyūbi's got himself a human."

"Kyūbi? The Kyūbi? A human?" The laughter that follows is ear-shatteringly loud. Izuna winces despite himself, prays that the two won't hear it over the racket one is making.

"From what Isobu has said, he even lets her call him by name."

"You must be joking."

"No."

"Wait, is that why you're travelling South?"

"It is. I want to see the human for myself!"

"Then I'll come along as well, I guess."

There's a rumble along the ground and, in the flat of his blade, the two tailed beasts begin to move away.

Holy, holy shit.

The reports had said the Kyūbi appeared in a flash of gold at the call of the woman who'd found the bastard Uchiha (time-travelling Uchiha, if what she's said was to believed and, from the reports of the techniques the two are using, Izuna believes it. He only wishes Madara did). Now, now there are two other tailed beasts heading their way and he's relatively certain the Three Tails is with them.

Fuck. Madara had been half certain he could take on a Tailed Beast with his new Sharingan but… four of them?

Double fuck. They need to get back and make a report.

The idea of a village where peace exists isn't so wild a dream when there's four of those monsters backing it up.

* * *

"You monster!"

Naruto's down on her hands and knees, one fist slamming into the ground as she wails. It's a pitiful sight in truth and Sasuke glares at the Akimichi who's the cause. The man shrugs, looking remarkably sheepish for someone with thrice the amount of bulk than the girl he has (probably unintentionally) upset.

Behind the counter, Ichiraku Ruiga laughs nervously, hastily shoving more noodles into the pot on the stove. "I'm sorry, Naruto-sama. I wasn't expecting such a dinner rush!"

The centre of Sasuke's world whimpers, clambering to her feet to take up her stool. It's practically her stool now. She'd had an entire team of clones dedicated to the construction of the ramen stand working day in and day out; it's probably the most well-constructed building in Konoha so far. Certainly, it's the most lovingly constructed building.

"It's- it's fine, Ruiga. I'll, I'll send a clone ahead tomorrow." A few days ago, the chef would have probably been surprised at Naruto's intentions to eat at his stall again. After six days of consecutive visits however, the man seems to have realised there'll be no stopping his most-loyal customer from acquiring her daily ramen. Barring her 'office', it's the one place the rest of the village has come to realise Naruto can be found at.

Sasuke hasn't missed the Yamanaka bastard over in the corner. He sends the fucker a Mangekyō glare, watching him pale and force himself not the shiver. Bastard doesn't have a hope in hell anyway (Naruto's blind as a bat to people who like her; Sasuke'd all but beaten her over the head until she realised he was sincere) but Sasuke's going to make it fucking obvious that, if he wants a shot at throwing himself at Naruto, then he's going to have to get past him.

And nothing will get between Sasuke and the love of his life.

"Er, Naruto-sama? What are you going to do if the Senju or the Uchiha want to join the village?" The stall goes quiet; the couple who'd beaten the Akimichi to the eatery stop stirring their ramen, looking up in interest. Sasuke can understand, it's probably been something at the forefront of all of their minds. They're the two biggest clans in the elemental countries, the strongest ones, and they've been at each other's throats for longer than living memory tells. If Naruto accepts one of them into the village, she'll make an enemy of the remaining one. From the way she's drawn her face back and away from the ramen stand, their Hokage seems to have realised the gravity of the situation herself.

"I'll have both, or I'll have neither," Naruto concludes firmly, before making obnoxiously grabby hands towards the bowl Ruiga presents her with. She dives in without any grace or consideration for those around her, slurping up the noodles like a champ. Sasuke signals for his usual, taking a seat between the girl and the Akimichi.

"Both? I don't think the two would ever agree to that," the other mutters, rubbing at his rounded cheeks, frown on his lips. Sasuke nods in agreement, fingers finding the hilt of his blade. It's not the same as his actual sword, but it's a fairly good substitute for now. Just until he can reclaim his favoured weapon from the Senju bastards.

"If Naruto allows one in, she'll make an enemy of the other forever. But, they're both too big and too influential to feel anything other than threatened by the village; if they keep warring with each other, then there won't be any true peace. If anything, Konoha will just become a third party in that war."

"And with the Biju, we'd win?"

"Kurama's not for waging war against others," Naruto snaps, slamming her empty bowl down on the countertop. Ruiga is quickly learning how swift his most loyal customer can down his ramen; there's a new bowl to replace the empty one twenty seconds later. Impressive. "Neither's Isobu. If the Uchiha or the Senju wanna fight, it's me and Sasuke they'll be facing. Kurama's agreed to protect the village if they try and bring the fight to it, but I'd stop them before they even got anywhere near, 'ttebayo!"

Naruto inhales a few more noodles, licking her chops once she's swallowed. Sasuke reaches out and catches the droplets dribbling down her chin with his forefinger, holding it out in offering. Naruto sucks the liquid free and he has to look away, an uncomfortable heat flushing his cheeks.

"That-" the Akimichi breaks off with a cough, also looking away and Sasuke huffs to himself. It's just a normal scene of domestic bliss between the two of them. That's all. "That confrontation might be coming sooner than later." He turns in his chair, gesturing to the three new stalls that have opened up. "The bakery and the tailor? They were the Senjus go to stops before they moved here. I've never even spoken to them before, that's how closely the other defending them. And the, er, paper maker guy? That was the one the Uchiha Clan used." Huh. That'd explain why the scroll Sasuke'd picked up yesterday was so familiar to him.

"Right, so these guys have come to the village because they're gonna get more customers and there's less chance of the other clan attacking them, right?"

"Up until they get too pissed over what you're doing and decide to do something about it."

.

Naruto waves off the worries, declaring she's stopped the Senju clan in their tracks once and she can do it again. The bluster calms the nerves of many, though Sasuke doesn't doubt those doubts will still linger. More importantly than the general public's issues, he now has Naruto's fingers woven in with his as they make for the training ground to begin sparring practice. She's been working tirelessly, so it should go without saying that she needs a break. And, for Naruto, a break is getting a chance to spar.

"You do know I can cook, right?" Sasuke grumbles, one hand resting on the hilt of the (temporary) sword, the other still occupied with Naruto's. He taps his thumb against her first knuckle, a rhythmic pattern that he can just get lost in. Quiet thumps that can get lost in the background noise of the village; of the forest they're approaching.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I could cook for you. If you keep eating so much ramen, you're eventually going to start looking like it," Sasuke grunts, transitioning from ground to water with ease as they cross the river. Already there are training posts set up, an Ino-Shika-Chō team looking up from where they'd been practicing. Their starry eyes lock onto them as they make their way over, the three kids staring something fierce.

"I'd love to try your food, Sasuke. As long as there's not too many tomatoes in it!" And then she's off, bouncing over to the kids and greeting all three with a wide grin, hand out for a shake with each one. Sasuke watches the interaction, a soft smile sweeping across his features against his will. Does the idiot realise she'll be able to take on students now? Hell, there'll be a few dozen kids ready to battle to the death to learn under her. Stopping the Three Tails from rampaging, daring to defy the two biggest clans in the Elemental Countries by setting up her own village where there'll be no fighting, swarming the Senju compound, even if most people don't know about that last one; Naruto seems like a dream come true to most. Something reliable in a world where life is painfully fleeting.

It's why the Hyūga came crawling back this morning, wanting to negotiate the whole seal thing. Naruto had explicitly told them that, no, she would not allow for a seal that can cause pain to ever be on the body of anyone in her village. Sealing the eyes after death; year whatever (and that's an idea that Sasuke can get behind, what with his past experiences with that fucker Danzō). But, forcing servitude? Yeah, it's no wonder that rubs Naruto up the wrong way.

"Where is she?!"

The thunderous bellow has the three younger teens freezing, swinging around to look at the source. The very, very large source.

"…Were you aware they were coming?"

"Nope!" Naruto chirps, bouncing forwards again, past the trio to stand before the two Tailed Beasts. That, that makes four now, doesn't it? Four in close proximity? Yeah, only a fool would try anything with them now. And fuck, with this reassurance, Sasuke might even be able to get a full night's sleep and wake up to Naruto's gorgeous face beside his.

A man can hope.


	9. Chapter 9

It's easy, ducking the guards, slipping by the only chakra sensor that's on duty. Finding the armoury is a little trickier; they don't follow the same logic as the Uchiha in having the armoury right in the centre of their encampment so that any potential invaders cannot arm themselves using Uchiha weapons. No, for some astronomically stupid reason, the Senju have it on the outskirts of their encampment.

Sasuke can barely believe it. Maybe it's because they had to move so suddenly, maybe it's because they've had to set up a new camp, maybe it's because they're that fucking cocky, he can't decide. All he knows is that he's benefiting from it, so that's good enough for him.

Amaterasu burns through the wooden plank of the ceiling, just enough for Sasuke to slip through after he's put the eternal flames out. True, there'll be no hiding the fact the Senju have been robbed, but he's not exactly going for stealthy-they'll-never-know-I-was-here. He's going for 'stealthy-until-I-have-my-sword-then-I'll-blast-out'. And it's going well, thank you very much. With four Biju in the village, the Hyūga metaphorically crawling back on their knees to be allowed in and the Nara-Akimichi-Yamanaka lot there, he'd felt secure enough to put the idea of retrieving his sword to Naruto.

She'd stared at him, blinked once, and muttered how she'd 'thought he'd just put it away because he didn't need it but of course he should go get it and please get some noodles on the way back'.

Naruto likes his cooking. Naruto likes watching him cook. Naruto likes him. Sasuke's happy. Not to the point where he'd die happy right now because he's got far too much going on in his life to just die now. He'd be furious with himself if he died now. At least sixty years from now, after a long, happy life with Naruto? Then yeah, that's fine. But not before then.

Not unless he has to sacrifice his life to save Naruto's. But there's no one who's that big of a challenge skulking about in the past here. Barring the Rabbit Fucker and she won't be getting out. Ever.

Landing on the hard-packed earth (more evidence of a quick move, they've not put down floorboards), Sasuke straightens himself out, sauntering over to the nearest wall full of blades. All typically Senju. Awful balance, more for muscle heads than for people who give a flying fuck about speed. Barring, Sasuke grudgingly thinks, the Second Hokage. Who is younger than him now. Heh. Baby Second.

It takes him all of forty seconds to finds his blade, nestled at the back and housed in the centre of a Fūinjutsu to alert the creator if someone were to remove the sword. Maybe to stop other clansmen from fucking about with it and screwing up the chakra signature Sasuke's sure will still be all but embedded in the metal. Maybe to alert the creator (who he's relatively certain now will be the Second at worst, though potentially Hashirama's Future Uzumaki bride... huh, a man of good taste in this time period, there's a surprise) to attempted theft.

Only, it won't be attempted because Sasuke won't fail. Not at this.

Without a care in the world, he reaches across and snatched up the weapon.

The chakra of the seal lashes at him but it's brushed off with ease.

Blasting through the western wall is even easier.

.

There's a moment of stunned silence as the Senju (all civilians, pregnant women or children: seems he came out on the day-care side of things) stare at him and Sasuke leisurely attaches his sword sheath back onto his hip, where it belongs (fucking Senju).

Then, Senju fucking Tobirama vaults over the nearest tent to launch a fuck ton of kunai at him. They're all precisely aimed, not one will hit a civilian (of which there are many at present) while doing their damn best to skewer Sasuke in the process. The closest kid will have one land at his feet and that'll be that. It'll probably give him a nightmare for a week, two tops. But fuck if Naruto would be unhappy to learn he'd inadvertently given a child nightmares.

Sasuke scoops up the brat as he flings himself away, depositing him in the arms of the woman who visually appears most like him before either of them gather their wits enough to scream. Sasuke keeps his momentum going, leaping up onto a First Hokage building. Sasuke knows the architecture, it's what the last never-knocked-down-before houses of old Konoha has looked like. But there's a new Konoha now, built with hundreds of the same hands instead of one sole pair. And Naruto... well, she's getting better at building houses, that much is obvious. The less said about the first few houses, the better.

Hey, he might worship the ground she walks on, but he can also admit when a building violates the health code regulations he grew up learning under his father's thumb. Surprisingly, it'd been one of the laws broken most often back then. Usually, unknown shinobi modification to a building that wasn't discovered until the creator died on a mission or building work begins and the workers uncover a nasty surprise as the jōnin in question stands at the back and does their damn best to pretend that's not their apartment.

Eh. Not his problem anymore.

Won't be his problem either; if anyone thinks he'll be running the police force, well. They can fuck right off.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke stands from his crouch, drawing his sword and watching the not-gonna-be-the-Second's face tighten in an impressive scowl.

"Senju. Just dropping by for my sword. I've got places to be, people to see."

"Bijū to appease," the Senju tests and Sasuke face lights up. It's not a friendly expression, for all that his lips resemble a smile. More something that could cut through rock.

"Nah. It's more Naruto works her magic and the Biju try to appease her. Not that they'd ever admit it." Not like Sasuke, who will happily admit he tries his best to keep Naruto happy because she is the bright spot in his life.

Tobirama smiles back at him, but it's just as dark, as threatening an expression as the one Sasuke had been wearing. Heh, he's impressed.

Then, they're off, meeting mid-air, swords clashing. Metal on metal screeches and Sasuke charges lightning chakra through the blade at the same moment Tobirama does so with his own. He meets the Senju's gaze for a mere moment as the civilians of his clan scream below them, eyes flashing into the Sharingan and then Tobirama is throwing himself away.

They both land on the hard packet earth, Sasuke's footing sure and steady. With all his chakra at his disposal, with his sword in hand and absolutely no worries about where Naruto is or if she needs him, he's at the very top of his game right now.

Tobirama may be good, but Sasuke's better.

They meet again, blades cutting through the air, Chidori Current forming in Sasuke's free hand. He fires it off, forcing Tobirama to disengage or be hit by the unknown-to-him technique. The civilians are still running scared; the kid Sasuke scooped up earlier is staring at him over his mother-sister-aunt's shoulder. Sasuke winks at him, just for the fuck of it and the kid flat out gawks. Heh. Brat. He doesn't know why Kakashi always complained about having students; Sasuke's almost looking forward to it. No, scratch that, he is looking forward to it. It's like a free trial on raising a child; maximum influence with none on the bloodline attachments. If he fucks it up, well, he'll know what not to do with his own children.

Speaking of children and Naruto and Naruto's requests, he does need to grab some noodles on the way back. It's probably not what she meant, but…

One genjutsu to distract, a quick body flicker, and then he's nailing Tobirama in the stomach with a brutal kick, launching him back and out over the wall. The rest of the Senju (who've just turned up now, slow response time there, five out of ten, would not trust to guard a village) follow the illusionary Sasuke who jumps after the would-be-Second, leaving the real Sasuke to his own devices. Perfect.

* * *

"The damage?"

One blooded rag pressed this his nose (because of course the fucking Uchiha had come back around to punch him in the nose on the way out, why not) Tobirama remains sitting on the floor of the emergency meeting hall, solely focused on the little boy sitting before Hashirama. His brother's still running his chakra through the kid's system, checking for any underlying genjutsus or fūinjutsus or any other nasty trap that the Uchiha could have left. This 'Sasuke' character might have had the bright idea to fuck off and abandon his clan (the one thing he appears to have got right if Tobirama has any say in it) but that's the only good thing about him. Coming in and stealing his sword back, making a mockery of all the shinobi who'd been on duty at that time, tricking Tobirama with a genjutsu of himself again; the worst is the fact he had literally been able to pick up a Senju child.

He could have killed Tora at any point, hundreds of different ways. The bastard had physically picked him up and plopped him down in his mother's arms. There had been no need whatsoever, so it has to be a threat. They're just not sure how.

"I can't find anything wrong with Tora-kun's chakra," Hashirama admits, drawing his hands back from the boy's shoulders. He's nearly four, young enough to bounce back from a fright of 'Sudden Uchiha' but not yet old enough to truly understand the danger of 'Sudden Uchiha'. Tora glances up at Hashirama, shrugging his thin little shoulders, almost as if Hashirama's announcement should have been obvious.

"Well, yeah. He was playing, wasn't he? Momo-chan winks at me when she's playing." The Uchiha had winked at him?

Tobirama is drawn from his hastily created thoughts of how a Uchiha winking could create a genjutsu when Father sends young Tora on his way, nothing but a harsh line of a frown on his face to show how stupid he thinks the boy's words to be. That he hasn't corrected Tora just goes to show how big of a threat the Bastard Uchiha presents.

He draws the cloth back from his nose and tries not to breathe too heavily through his nose, fearful of the fresh blood clot coming free.

Whatever it is their father is planning to say doesn't get a moment to come into being; Hashirama beats him there with a near hesitant question. Near hesitant because he doubts his brother knows the meaning of the word.

"Father. Have you considered potentially joining this village?"

Father stares. The three elders who sit at the back of the room stare. Tobirama stares. But no, his brother still stands tall, hair falling pin straight down his shoulders, as if he hasn't just suggested the most ludicrous idea to have ever been voiced in Senju territory. Join the village? The village this Bastard Uchiha and his probably-a-bastard Uzumaki friend are making?

"This isn't one of your stupid childish daydreams, Hashirama-"

"But they're doing it!" Hashirama retorts, cutting their father off mid-sentence, one arm thrown wide, fingers spread like he's wanting to point to the village itself as actual evidence, despite it being more than a half-day's full run away. "They're not fighting anyone; the children are safe there! Civilians are leaving their villages they've lived in for generations to go there because there's a significantly lower chance they'll get caught in the crossfire! I haven't heard of anyone who has managed to get to the village without Naruto pushing them back!"

"How do you know her name?" It's one of the elder's who ask, their voice low, controlled. Emotionless.

Tobirama swallows around the lump in his throat.

Quietly, Hashirama admits, "I've been listening out for it. She's, she's proof that it can be done. That we can stop this senseless violence."

Still silence. No one talks. Only breathes.

Father's eyes meet his and Tobirama straightens.

"That will be all, Tobirama. Make sure you set your nose correctly." Oh. He's being dismissed.

His eyes find Hashirama; his big brother just nods at him, turning his attention back to Father. Shoulders squared, jaw tight, head up.

He looks more like a Clan Head than Father.


End file.
